[  Book  &  Stationery] 
Dept. 


SOULS   IN   PAWN 


Souls  in  Pawn 


A  Story  of  New  York  Life 


BY 


MARGARET    BLAKE    ROBINSON 


NEW  YORK       CHICAGO       TORONTO 

Fleming   H.   Revell   Company 
1901 


Copyright,  1900 

by 
FLEMING   H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall 


THE  CAXTON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK. 


DEDICATION 

To  my  friends,  my  readers,  my  critics — those  present 
and  to  come,  as  well  as  to  those  who  will  taste  my  doctrine 
and  label  it  as  no  good  thing  should  be  labelled — to  these 
four  I  dedicate  "Souls  in  Pawn"  as  a  mark  of  my 
affection  and  esteem,  and  as  a  proof  of  my  impartiality. 


PREFACE 

THE  question  "  What  is  Truth  "  has  never  been 
fully  answered,  neither  has  "  What  is  Fiction  " ;  so 
I  do  not  pretend  to  solve  it  by  saying  this  book  is 
either  the  one  or  the  other.  It  is  merely  an  attempt 
to  paint  the  struggles  of  human  souls  toward  God ; 
to  reveal  the  throbbing  of  real  hearts  through  the 
medium  of  pen  and  ink ;  and  to  win  sympathy  from 
brother  for  brother. 

I  once  knew  an  Irish  blacksmith,  by  the  name  of 
Billy  Gog,  who  was  a  philosopher  in  his  way ;  and 
when  his  parish  priest  scolded  him  for  not  going 
to  church  oftener,  and  loving  it  better,  he  said: 

"Father  M ,  we're  all  made  of  mud,  and  wan 

puddle  is  no  better'n  another ;  your  puddle  happens 
to  be  the  chapel  kind,  while  mine  is  only  the  horse- 
shoein'  kind;  that's  all."  And  who  will  not  say 
that  Billy  did  not  come  as  near  the  truth  as  Socrates 
or  Epictetus;  for  who  can  say  what  he  would  or 
would  not  do  in  a  certain  place,  until  environment 
had  shaped  him  into  a  being  colored  in  mind,  soul, 

5 


6  Preface 

and  body  by  the  lights  and  shadows  of  his  sur- 
roundings. 

"  Souls  in  Pawn  "  is  a  story,  yet  Richard  Master- 
son,  who  appears  in  its  pages,  is  as  real  to  me  as 
the  pen  in  my  hand.  I  know  him  and  take  pleasure 
in  introducing  him  to  you.  Katie  Finnegan  is  not 
merely  a  creature  of  my  imagination.  She  can  be 
found  in  every  large  city;  and  the  true  Christian 
will  forgive  her  slang  for  the  sake  of  discovering 
her  real  self — just  as  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  did;  just  as 
I  have  myself;  for  I  frankly  confess  that  I  fell  in 
love  with  Katie  Finnegan  as  I  wrote  about  her  day 
after  day.  And  Katherine;  my  brave,  loyal,  fear- 
less heroine,  who  learns  her  hard  lessons  so  well; 
whose  heart  is  always  full  of  sunshine  and  laughter, 
who  has  spurned  long-faced  religion  in  order  to  be 
anointed  with  "  the  oil  of  gladness  " — I  have  met 
her,  I  have  loved  and  admired  her,  and  have  tried  to 
paint  her.  If  I  have  succeeded  I  have  done  a  great 
work.  If  I  have  failed  I  ask  forgiveness — yours 
and  hers.  John;  "the  Christian  Merchant"; 
"  Daddy  Longlegs  " ;  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Irving,  I 
have  no  apology  for.  You  may  laugh  or  weep  or 
grow  indignant  over  them  as  the  mood  strikes  you, 
or  as  the  life  I  have  tried  to  breathe  into  them  man- 
ifests itself;  but  they  will  remain  as  types  to  be  met 
in  every  Christian  community  in  the  land.  I  hope 


Preface  7 

when  you  finish  this  book  you  will  love  children 
better;  despise  (not  hate,  for  we  can  only  hate  what 
has  greatness  in  it)  hypocrisy  and  hypocrites ;  be  a 
stronger,  nobler,  and  more  fearless  Christian  (not 
a  mere  professor);  and  love  the  Lord  Jesus  better 
for  His  devotion  to  and  patience  with,  us  all;  for 
we  are  a  queer,  unmanageable  lot  at  best.  For 
this  purpose  and  this  only  has  Souls  in  Pawn  been 
written. 
Now  read  it. 

MARGARET  BLAKE  ROBINSON. 

NEW  YORK. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

PAGB 

THE  MOCK  PENITENT       .  13 


CHAPTER  II 
AN  IRISHMAN'S  PHILOSOPHY 17 

CHAPTER  III 
SEEKING  HEAVEN  THROUGH  A  WOMAN'S  HEART     .       .    23 

CHAPTER   IV 
WHERE  MARRIAGE  WAS  A  FAILURE 39 

CHAPTER  V 
SEEKING  AID  FROM  THE  INVISIBLE 37 

CHAPTER  VI 
KATHERINE  HAS  A  NOISY  VISITOR 42 

CHAPTER  VII 
A  DISCUSSION  OF  CHINATOWN  AND  ITS  CONVERTS  .        -Si 

CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  FINNEGAN  ASSOCIATION 59 

9 


lo  Contents 

CHAPTER  IX  PAGE 

LIZZIE  KELLY  REFUSES  TO  BE  BRIBED  AND  THE  CLUB 
RECEIVES  VISITORS 64 

CHAPTER  X 
How  A  MOUSE  SQUELCHED  A  DOMESTIC  TYRANT   .        .    74 

CHAPTER  XI 
RICHARD  PROVOKES  A  DISCUSSION 83 

CHAPTER    XII 

CUPID  AS  A  THEOLOGICAL  PROFESSOR      .        .        .        .    95 

CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  TRAIL  OF  THE  SERPENT 103 

CHAPTER  XIV 
A  HYPOCRITE  IN  A  TRAP 114 

CHAPTER  XV 
COMEDY  AND  TRAGEDY  IN  CHINATOWN  ....  127 

CHAPTER  XVI 
'•CHOP  Sui"  AND  JEALOUSY 138 

CHAPTER  XVII 
RICHARD  MAKES  A  CONFESSION  OF  LOVE       .        .       .  146 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

KATHERINE'S  EYES  ARE  OPENED  AND  JOHN  is  OFFERED 
A  WIFE  .  162 


Contents  1 1 

CHAPTER  xix  PAGB 

How  AN  OUTCAST  DIED  .       .        .       .  171 

CHAPTER  XX 
A  SPIRITUAL  AND  PHYSICAL  STRUGGLE    ....  181 

CHAPTER  XXI 

Two  CONFERENCES  AND  A  VISIT  FROM  "DADDY  LONG- 
LEGS"         19° 

CHAPTER   XXII 

KATHERINE  REPLIES  TO  A  RASCAL  AND  VENTURES  AN 
OPINION  ON  SOCIALISTIC  DOCTRINES         .        .        .  205 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
BROUGHT  TO  BAY 215 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
MIRTH  AND  MADNESS 227 

CHAPTER  XXV 
"WHOM  GOD  HATH  JOINED" 236 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
WITHIN  THE  WALLS  OF  SING  SING  ....          242 

CHAPTER  XXVII 
A  KNIGHT  OF  THE  NEW  CHIVALRY         ....  248 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 
How  A  MAN  is  BUILT 258 


12  Contents 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

PACK 

KATIE  FINNEGAN  ON  UNIVERSAL  SUFFRAGE    .        .        .  264 

CHAPTER   XXX 
FROM  LOCKSTEP  AND  STRIPES 275 

CHAPTER  XXXI 
ONE  OF  GOD'S  IRREGULARS 283 

CHAPTER  XXXII 
A  PARTING  GLIMPSE 292 


SOULS    IN    PAWN 


CHAPTER  I 

fffiE    MOCK    PENITENT 

IT  is  a  large,  roomy  mission,  bright,  cheerful,  and 
sunny,  that  we  peep  into ;  nothing  like  the  meeting- 
rooms  so  common  in  the  great  cities  where  sinners 
are  supposed  to  flock  delightedly  to  hear  the  Word, 
but  where  they  much  more  often  crawl  in  dejectedly 
from  the  cold  and  unsympathetic  curbstones.  Be- 
ing in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-third  Street, 
New  York,  where  the  "  better  class  of  sinners  "  are 
supposed  to  congregate,  the  mission  is  made  as  in- 
viting as  possible.  There  is  a  pretty  fair  toned  or- 
gan, a  lovely  young  organist,  and  some  good  etch- 
ings and  water-colors;  which,  together  with  the 
freshly  painted,  light-blue  walls  make  a  rather  at- 
tractive whole  during  the  nightly  service. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Irving  is  preaching.  On  his  night 
there  is  always  a  goodly  crowd.  Some  explain  this 
by  saying  he  has  "  a  way  about  him,"  which  is  cer- 

13 


14  Souls  in  Pawn 

tainly  rather  vague,  to  say  the  least ;  others  say  that 
his  earnestness  drives  away  the  ennui  from  his  lis- 
teners; and  there  are  a  few  wiser  ones  who  say  it 
is  really  because  he  means  what  he  says,  and  that 
he  always  looks  as  if  his  heart  is  breaking  when  some 
young  fellow,  with  whom  he  has  been  talking,  goes 
out  into  the  night  without  having  yielded  to  the 
better  influences. 

His  daughter  Katherine  is  sitting  by  the  organ, 
her  large  soft-brown  eyes  looking  up  toward  the 
skylight,  and  her  hands  lying  listlessly  on  the  dumb 
keys.  Nearly  every  one  in  the  room  seems  moved  by 
her  father's  impassioned  voice  and  thrilling  words ; 
but  she  sits  quietly,  though  there  is  an  inspired  look 
on  her  face  which  at  least  one  in  the  audience  catches. 
He  is  sitting  near  the  middle  aisle,  half-way  down 
the  room ;  a  tall,  broad-shouldered,  gray-eyed  young 
man,  whose  lips  look  resolute  and  firm  despite  a 
touch  of  weakness  that  slightly  curves  their  corners 
when  their  owner's  nervous  twitchings  at  his  brown 
mustache  brings  them  into  view.  He  is  dressed  well 
and  in  good  taste,  but  there  is  a  slight  odor  of  to- 
bacco and  brandy  hovering  around  him,  in  spite  of 
the  delicate  perfume  carefully  sprayed  on  his  face 
and  handkerchief. 

"  I  wonder  whether  I  shall  go  up  or  not,"  is  the 
question  that  is  troubling  his  mind.  The  "  going 


The  Mock  Penitent  15 

up  "  means  up  to  the  rough  "  penitent  form  "  where 
converts  kneel  nightly  when  they  go  forward  in 
response  to  the  preacher's  appeal  to  "  give  their 
hearts  to  God." 

Katherine  sees  the  little  struggle,  though  appar- 
ently she  is  looking  in  every  other  direction  than 
his;  and  as  he  is  debating  the  question  with  him- 
self, the  Janitor  of  the  mission  puts  a  little  slip  of 
paper  into  his  hand  which  reads :  "  Now  is  the  ac- 
cepted time,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation. 

"  KATHERINE  IRVING." 

The  sight  of  the  written  words  sends  a  strange 
thrill  through  the  reader's  heart,  and  if  he  were 
alone  he  feels  he  would  have  pressed  the  piece  of 
paper  to  his  warm  lips ;  but  instead,  he  lifts  his  eyes 
to  the  writer,  and  after  being  careful  that  she  has 
noted  a  perplexed  and  soft  look  in  their  big  frank- 
looking  depths,  he  pencils  the  words :  "  I  can't,  as  I 
have  too  many  doubts.  May  I  call  at  the  Parsonage 
to-morrow  ?  I  am  heart-sick  and  wretched. 

"RICHARD  MASTERSON." 

Katherine  nods.  Richard  Masterson  smiles  soft- 
ly, and  then  rises  from  his  seat  and  moves  toward  the 
door,  his  usually  straight  shoulders  bent  as  if  some 
weight  of  grief  is  oppressing  them.  When  he 
reaches  the  street,  a  broad  queer-looking  smile  runs 


16  Souls  in  Pawn 

across  his  face,  spoiling  the  honest  open  look  that 
usually  occupies  it. 

"  I  am  smitten,  as  sure  as  I  am  a  rascal,"  he  says 
a  little  ruefully;  and  then  he  sighs  and  thrusts  his 
hands  into  his  pockets,  looks  at  the  little  note  again, 
and  after  he  has  sworn  under  his  breath,  turns  his 
steps  toward  a  nearby  cafe;  but,  strange  to  say,  a 
little  tear  dims  his  eyes,  which  he  flicks  off  gently 
with  his  handkerchief  before  he  opens  the  door  of 
the  house  of  gayety. 


CHAPTER   II 
AN  IRISHMAN'S  PHILOSOPHY 

A  BURST  of  laughter  greets  his  appearance  as  he 
goes  to  a  table  in  a  rear  room  at  which  several 
men  are  seated  having  what  they  call  a  "  quiet  lit- 
tle game." 

"  Well,  your  reverence,  how  is  the  mission  ?  "  asks 
a  jolly  looking  fellow,  slightly  bald  and  a  good  deal 
the  worse  for  liquor. 

"  Reverence  nothing !  He  is  one  of  General 
Booth's  majors,"  says  a  second,  who  nearly  swallows 
his  cigar,  so  delighted  is  he  with  his  own  joke. 

"  Since  Richard  is  a  Catholic,  I  would  say  'tis 
a  bishopric  he  would  be  more  likely  to  seek,"  sug- 
gests a  fat  man  with  an  Irish  accent ;  "  but,"  as  an 
after  thought,  "  he  has  a  wife,  an'  that  would  be 
the  divil  of  an  obstacle." 

"  Oh,  I  would  bring  your  influence  to  bear  on 
the  Pope,  and  that  would  be  all  right,"  says  Richard 
gayly;  but  he  does  not  look  as  jolly  as  his  words 
would  indicate. 

a  17 


l8  Souls  in  Pawn 

After  drinking  a  few  glasses  of  brandy,  and  en- 
during the  quizzing  remarks  of  his  fellow-drinkers, 
he  nods  to  the  Irishman  and  the  two  retire  to  a  little 
private  room  labelled  an  "  office." 

"  Ned,  I  want  you  to  help  me,"  he  says,  when 
the  waiter  has  placed  a  bottle  of  brandy  and  a 
siphon  of  vichy  before  them. 

"  Glad  to  do  it,  Richy,  old  fellow,  if  I  can.  What's 
the  rub?" 

"  Ned,  I'm  tired  of  my  life." 

"  Oh,  you  are ;  is  it  goin'  to  take  mine  y'are  ?  " 

Richard  smiles,  but  adds  gravely,  "  I  hate  gam- 
bling ;  I  hate  horse-races ;  I  despise  the  politics  that 
makes  a  fellow  the  henchman  of  any  rascal  who  has 
a  bank  account  and  a  nerve — I  want  to  throw  it  up." 

"  Say,  Rich,  it's  that  mission,"  says  the  Irishman 
trying  to  look  as  shocked  as  he  feels.  This  is  a  very 
difficult  thing  for  a  fat  man  with  plump  red  cheeks 
and  a  bottle  of  brandy  before  him,  so  Ned  only  par- 
tially succeeds.  "  It's  the  mission,"  he  repeats ;  "  I 
thought  it  was  only  a  mash,  but  it's  turning  your 
brains  upside  down,  and  it  seems  to  me  the  sooner 
ye  call  a  halt  the  better — Are  ye  in  love,  Rich  ?  " 

"  Why,  man,  you  know  I'm  married !  " 

"  Oh,  faith,  I  know  that,  but  Ned  Brady  knows  a 
trick  or  two;  and  one  o'  them  is  that  love  will  fall 
if  there  was  eleven  old  women  waiting  to  kill  it  for 


An  Irishman's  Philosophy  19 

dhropping.  Now  if  it's  in  that  way,  I  can  help  ye ; 
I'm  yer  man." 

Richard  looks  sullen  and  stares  at  the  floor  for 
a  few  moments;  then  his  whole  face  changes  and 
a  merry  look  comes  over  it. 

"  We'll  drink  to  it,  Ned,"  he  says  laughingly. 

"  An'  here's  to  her  health.  May  she  fall  head  over 
heels  in  love  with  ye  before  ye  get  the  vote  of  the  dis- 
trict, and,"  significantly,  "  that  won't  be  very  long 
if  you  stick  to  yer  good  sense." 

"  Amen !  "  cries  Richard,  and  the  two  click  glasses. 

"  My  wife  is  troubling  me,  Ned,"  breaks  in  Rich- 
ard after  a  pause. 

"  Tis  a  way  wives  have,"  says  the  Irishman 
philosophically.  "Don't  you  pay  her  alimony?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  she  wants  me." 

"  Well,  you  must  remember  she's  never  seen  yer 
friend,"  says  Ned,  and  the  two  laugh  at  the  joke. 

"  Ton  my  word,  I  wish  she  would,  then.  It's 
beastly,  Ned,  to  have  a  woman  in  love  with  you 
whom  you  never  loved  and  never  can." 

"  How  the  deuce  did  you  come  to  marry  her 
then?" 

"  Oh,  because  I  was  a  raw,  foolish  fellow ;  and  be- 
cause when  I  met  her  I  would  have  done  anything 
from  climbing  a  pole  to  breaking  a  fellow's  jaw. 
Give  a  fool  of  twenty  a  long  string,  and  it  will  take 
him  years  to  unravel  the  knots  he  makes." 


2O  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  True  for  you,  Richard,  unless  he  does  as  I  do, 
cut  the  sthring  afther  each  knot  and  only  look 
ahead." 

"You  do  not  know  women  when  you  talk  like 
that,  Ned." 

"Oh,  don't  I?  Faith,  'tis  they  that  don't  know 
me,"  said  Ned;  laughing.  "  An'  that's  what  keeps 
me  out  o'  trouble.  No  letters,  no  trunk,  no  past; 
nothing  but  a  change  of  clothes,  an  innocent  look, 
an'  some  quotations  from  the  poets.  You'll  never  get 
in  trouble  if  that's  yer  baggage." 

"  Well,  philosopher,  dost  thou  then  think  there 
are  no  happy  marriages  where  love  and  truth  and 
loyalty  hold  sway,  as  the  idealist  says,"  asked  Rich- 
ard, smiling,  but  looking  more  anxious  than  he 
would  have  cared  to  admit  he  was. 

"  No,  Richie,  I  don't,"  answered  the  Irishman 
solemnly.  "  I  once  did ;  'twas  years  ago  when  I 
wrapped  my  ould  foolish  heart  around  a  woman. 
She  could,"  this  a  little  bitterly,  "  put  her  arms  round 
a  chap's  neck,  an'  make  him  forget  that  'twas  to  the 
sun  he  was  indebted  for  light,  an'  to  God  for  life. 
I  took  to  writing  her  poethry,  an'  to  planning  for  the 
future  in  a  way  that  used  to  buoy  up  all  the  smother- 
ing ambition  in  my  soul.  I  even  took  to  goin'  to 
mass  an'  say  in'  my  prayers.  We  got  married  an' 
kem  out  here,  an'  afther  two  years  she  met  an  Eng- 


An  Irishman's  Philosophy  21 

lishman — she  was  a  little  English  girl  herself — an 
old  lover  of  hers,  an'  'twas  that  dhrove  me  to  saloon 
keepin'  an'  the  etceteras." 

There  is  a  little  quaver  in  Ned's  voice  as  he  con- 
cludes, but  a  second  later  he  throws  back  his  head, 
and  in  a  rich,  strong  voice,  sings  a  verse  of  "  The 
Cruiskeen  Lawn." 

When  he  has  finished,  Richard  says  gravely,  "  I 
never  knew  you  were  married,  Ned." 

"Very  few  do,  Richie.  Keep  it  mum.  I  don't 
want  the  girls  to  know;  'twould  spoil  me  chances, 
ye  know." 

"  I  should  think  you'd  be  sick  of  girls  after  that," 
murmurs  Richard  disgustedly. 

"  So  I  am,  Rich.  But  if  a  chap  doesn't  want  to  be 
marked  as  a  crank  and  sat  upon  everywhere  he  goes, 
he  must  solemnly  swear  they're  all  angels." 

"  You're  a  philosopher,"  Ned. 

"  No,  I'm  not.  But  I  have  more  sense  than  yer 
love-sick  chap  who  goes  to  the  dogs.  I  went  to  the 
kennel,  but  I  objected  to  living  there  and  came 
back." 

"  'Tis  a  lonesome  subject,"  says  Richard  after  a 
pause.  "  How  about  business,  Ned  ?" 

"  Fine !  Fools  are  born  every  ten  minutes  these 
days.  Some  of  them  object  when  they  have  to  bor- 
row carfare  to  get  home ;  but  a  game's  a  game." 


22  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  So  it  is,"  says  Richard,  "  and  a  good  game  at 
that.  We  did  well  when  we  struck  this  place  to- 
gether, Ned." 

"  Ye  mane  yer  lucky  to  have  such  a  partner  as  me. 
Well,  I  guess  ye  are,"  and  Ned  begins  to  look  pom- 
pous and  important. 

"  I  am  going  home,"  says  Richard  rising.  "  I 
think  'tis  my  liver." 

"  So  'tis,  old  chap ;  so  'tis.  A  saloon  liver  doesn't 
thrive  in  a  mission." 

Richard  laughs  and  goes  out.  "  I  actually  be- 
lieve I  would  have  gone  to  work  to-night,"  he  says 
to  himself  as  he  draws  his  coat  around  him.  "  That 
girl  almost  turned  my  head.  Confound  it !  I  wish 
I  had  less  moods.  I'm  nearly  as  moody  as  a  woman. 
I  wonder  how  the  dickens  a  fellow  makes  love  to  a 
real  good  woman— one  who  prays.  I  have  experi- 
ence in  all  other  lines  but  that  one.  Well*  I  will  see 
her  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER   III 

SEEKING   HEAVEN    THROUGH    A   WOMAN'S    HEART 

WHEN  he  calls  on  her  next  day  he  does  not  know 
that  she  has  been  praying  for  him  all  the  morning ; 
but  he  does  his  best  to  look  as  if  he  himself  had  spent 
hours  on  his  knees. 

"  I  am  glad  you  came,  Mr.  Masterson,"  she  says 
in  her  rich,  deep  American  voice,  that  betrays  the 
culture  and  breeding  that  is  in  every  line  of  her  face. 

"  Are  you  ?  "  he  asks  a  little  stupidly. 

As  a  rule  Richard  is  a  good  conversationalist,  but 
he  feels  that  this  woman  is  good,  and  that  he  has 
the  audacity  to  love  her. 

"  I  was  pleased  with  your  note,"  she  goes  on. 
"  I  think  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  spiritual  retro- 
gression because  people  are  carried  away  by  impulse 
rather  than  led  to  God  by  His  Holy  Spirit." 

"  Yes,"  says  Richard  a  little  vaguely,  and  then  see- 
ing her  look  at  him,  he  adds,  "  I  am  glad  that  you 
understand  me.  I  am  a  Roman  Catholic,  you  know, 
Miss  Irving,  and  I  cannot  see  how  anyone  can  go  to 
heaven  outside  the  pale  of  the  Church." 
23 


24  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Let  us  commence  right,  my  brother,"  says  Kath- 
erine  very  gravely.  "  It  is  not  merely  going  to 
heaven ;  it  is  living  heaven  here  on  earth.  You  know 
that  the  Master  said  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  among  us  or  within  us ;  and  when  we  know  that 
the  Christ  takes  possession  of  our  souls  at  the  new 
birth,  we  know  that  that  is  literally  true." 

"  New  birth?"  says  Richard  in  surprise.  "  You 
mean  reformation." 

"  No,  regeneration,"  she  answers.  "  I  mean  that 
God  can  make  you  a  new  man ;  not  patch  over  the* 
old  man." 

"  That  is  poetry,  Miss  Irving,"  Richard  says  smil- 
ing. 

"  No,  my  brother,  it  is  science — a  science  too  little 
understood  by  the  theorists  who  would  reform  the 
world  with  some  philosophy  centred  in  a  principle." 

"  What  is  yours  centred  in,  Miss  Irving?  " 

"  In  a  Being,  my  brother ;  in  the  Godhead.  It  is 
being  in  tune  with  the  Infinite." 

"  And  how  is  that  accomplished  ?  " 

"  We  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood  of  Christ,"  she 
quotes ;  and  then  softly,  "  He  is  our  Peace." 

"  And  what  of  the  Catholic  Church,"  asks  Rich- 
ard who  is  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  Catholics  and  the  members  of  every  other  creed 
have  the  same  Saviour  and  meet  on  a  common  foot- 


Heaven  Through  a  Woman's  Heart     25 

ing.  There  is  only  one  church,  and  Christ  is  the  door 
to  it.  I  know  that  some  people  try  to  get  in  through 
the  rungs  of  Saint  Peter's  chair ;  but  Christ  has  said, 
'  I  am  the  door ;  by  me,  if  any  man  enter  in  he  shall 
be  saved.'  Let  it  be  Christ,  not  creed,"  she  says. 

"  Has  your  church  no  creed,"  asks  Richard  curi- 
ously. 

"  None  whatever,  except  belief  in  Christ.  My 
father's  church,  as  well  as  the  mission,  stands  for 
an  undenominational  Gospel.  I  might  spend  hours 
showing  you  how  foolish  are  the  traditions  and  su- 
perstitions of  some  so-called  true  churches  of  God, 
and  how  spiritually  dead  are  many  infallible  guides, 
but  I  prefer  to  lead  you  to  the  One  who  is  the  Way, 
the  Truth,  and  the  Life.  Controversy  has  never  led 
a  soul  to  God,  but  charity  covers  a  multitude  of  sins." 

Richard  bows  his  head.  This  calm,  strong  wom- 
an looking  at  him,  seems  to  read  and  charm  his  very 
soul.  No  woman  has  ever  affected  him  in  this  way 
before.  He  has  been  thrilled,  infatuated,  and  daz- 
zled, but  this  is  a  different  feeling,  and  he  thinks 
that  if  he  could  only  kiss  her  forehead  he  would  be 
stronger  for  it. 

She  looks  at  him,  and,  concluding  that  he  is  pon- 
dering over  her  words,  says  in  a  low  voice,  "  Shall 
we  pray  ?  " 

"If  you  wish  to,"  he  answers. 


26  Souls  in  Fawn 

She  does  not  argue  the  question,  trying  to  probe 
into  his  feelings,  as  a  more  emotional  woman  might, 
but  drops  on  her  knees,  and  pours  out  her  heart  in 
pleading  for  the  salvation  of  another  prodigal  son 
seeking  the  way  to  the  Father's  house. 

He  listens  to  her  every  word,  to  every  intonation 
of  her  voice,  and  a  feeling  of  awe  and  reverence 
comes  over  him,  such  as  he  has  experienced  once  or 
twice  in  going  into  some  beautiful  cathedral  at  the 
close  of  the  day.  He  loves  her,  but  he  tells  himself 
that  "  it  is  not  that."  He  vaguely  wonders  what  it 
is,  and  he  is  gazing  softly  at  her  when  she  murmurs, 
"  Amen,"  and  rises  to  her  feet. 

"  I  would  like  you  to  know  my  father,"  she  says 
when  they  are  again  seated.  "  I  have  spoken  to  him 
about  you,  and  he  said  he  would  feel  it  a  great  pleas- 
ure to  meet  you.  By  the  way,  how  was  it  you  first 
came  to  our  church  ?  " 

Richard  looks  a  little  queerly  at  her. 

"  So  you  have  forgotten  the  little  card  you  gave 
me  at  one  of  your  hospital  meetings.  I  was  visiting 
a  patient  in  Bellevue  Hospital,  and  you  handed  me 
an  invitation  to  attend  what  you  called  a  Gospel 
meeting.  That  was  three  months  ago,  and  I  have 
been  attending  both  the  church  and  mission  services 
since." 

"  Well,  I  meet  so  many  people,  you  know,"  she 
says  a  little  apologetically— 


Heaven  Through  a  Woman's  Heart     27 

"  To  be  able  to  remember  a  plain  fellow  like  me," 
he  concluded. 

"  Yes,"  she  answers  laughing.  "  You  did  not 
strike  me  as  being  any  one  of  the  distinguished  citi- 
zens the  newspapers  speak  about." 

"  What  did  you  think  of  me  ?  "  he  asks  pursuing 
the  subject. 

"  Are  you  vain  ?  "  she  asks  as  roguishly  as  if  talk- 
ing to  an  intimate  girl  friend,  but  with  the  air  of  one 
who  is  going  to  say  a  disagreeable  thing. 

"  No,"  he  replies,  a  little  anxiously. 

"  Well,  I  wondered  why  strong  men  ever  got  un- 
der the  influence  of  intoxicating  liquor." 

He  flushed,  but  said  not  a  word. 

"  You  wanted  to  know,"  she  says  almost  peni- 
tently ;  "  the  truth  sometimes  hurts,  but  pain  and  life 
are  of  near  kin.  I  will  bring  you  in  a  cup  of  tea,  and 
while  I  am  getting  it  you  will  decide  when  to  have 
luncheon  with  my  father." 

"  And  with  you,"  he  says  hurriedly. 

She  looks  closely  at  him,  and  then  says  laugh- 
ingly : 

"  Oh,  of  course.  My  father  would  be  helpless 
without  me." 

When  she  brings  the  tea,  he  says,  "  Miss  Irving, 
what  do  you  think  of  a  man  who  drinks?  " 

"  I  pity  him,"  she  answers  softly  but  firmly. 


28  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Some  fellows  do  not  like  to  be  pitied,"  he  says  a 
little  testily. 

"  Then,"  and  she  smiles  up  at  him,  "  they  should 
not  make  themselves  objects  of  it." 

He  pauses  a  moment,  and  then  says,  "  They  say 
pity  is  akin  to  love.  But  of  course  that  does  not  in- 
clude the  Christian's  pity  for  a  sinner." 

"  Yes,  the  pity  that  is  of  God  is  always  a  close  kin 
to  the  love  of  God — His  pity  is  never  contempt." 
She  looks  into  his  eyes  with  perfect  frankness,  and 
if  he  has  any  thought  of  trifling  he  grows  ashamed 
of  it,  and  says  in  a  confused  way,  "  I  will  come 
Thursday  if  I  may,  Miss  Irving." 

"  You  may,  indeed.  Let  me  see,  to-day  is  Satur- 
day. Yes,  my  father  will  be  at  leisure  on  that  day." 

"  Good-by,  you  have  helped  me." 

"  Ah,  I  hope  I  have.    Good-by,  my  brother." 


CHAPTER  IV 

WHERE    MARRIAGE    WAS    A    FAILURE 

"  HELPED  me !  I  will  be  hanged  if  she  has  not 
helped  to  make  a  greater  rascal  of  me,"  growled 
Richard  under  his  breath,  as  he  left  the  parsonage. 
"  I  wonder  how  I  can  make  her  love  me.  Great 
Scott !  "  and  the  perspiration  burst  out  on  his  fore- 
head as  he  said  it.  "  If  she  knew  I  had  a  wife  the 
game  would  be  up." 

He  stood  on  the  corner  of  the  street,  and  tugged 
at  his  mustache  violently,  as  if  to  find  the  answer  to 
his  perplexed  thoughts  there.  "  I  will  go  to  see 
her,"  he  said  abruptly,  and  turning  around,  he  re- 
traced his  steps,  passed  the  parsonage,  went  down  a 
side  street,  and  after  a  walk  of  a  few  blocks,  boarded 
a  Broadway  car. 

It  was  a  large,  rather  imposing  flat-house  on  West 
Fifty-seventh  Street  that  he  paused  before,  and  it 
was  with  a  frown  that  made  his  face  look  ugly  and 
forbidding  that  he  entered  and  knocked  at  the  door 
of  an  apartment  on  the  second  floor.  A  woman 
29 


30  Souls  in  Pawn 

answered  his  knock.  She  was  not  ill  looking,  but 
the  trembling  lip  and  flashing  eye  gave  a  rather  sin- 
ister appearance  to  her  face.  Her  eyes  were  black, 
her  features  well  formed,  except  for  the  chin,  which, 
was  rather  pointed  and  sometimes  made  the  owner 
look  what  the  janitor  called  "  venomous."  Her  hair 
was  black;  her  manner  quick  and  nervous;  her 
hands  soft  and  fair,  and  her  voice  a  little  harsh, 
though  not  repelling.  This  was  Richard's  wife,  and 
as  he  entered,  she  barely  reached  to  his  arm. 

"  Well,  dear?  "  he  says  a  little  sarcastically,  as  he 
enters. 

"  Quite  well,  beloved,"  she  answers  in  the  same 
vein,  and  immediately  she  returns  to  the  fancy  work 
she  had  left  a  moment  before.  He  falls  into  a  chair, 
and,  placing  one  knee  across  the  other,  looks  at  her. 
Then  he  lights  a  cigar,  and  under  its  influence  he 
seems  to  grow  genial. 

"  Where's  the  boy,"  he  asks  presently. 

"  In  bed,"  is  the  brief  reply. 

"  Lazy  habits  like  his  dad,  eh?  " 

"  No,  pneumonia,"  she  replies  briefly,  and  she  says 
it  as  if  the  news  pleases  her. 

"  My  God ! "  cries  Richard,  dropping  his  cigar. 
"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me,  Jennie  ?  " 

"  You  don't  like  to  be  bothered,  you  know.  Busi- 
ness must  be  attended  to,  confound  it !  "  she  replies 


Where  Marriage  Was  a  Failure       31 

mimicking  his  tones,  as  well  as  using  his  words  of 
a  few  days  before. 

He  mutters  a  curse  and  draws  up  his  foot  as  if  to 
kick  her,  but  she  gives  him  a  contemptuous  look,  and 
he  goes  into  the  bedroom.  A  little  boy  of  five  or  six, 
with  fair  features  and  heavy  brown  hair  lies  on  the 
bed  with  the  traces  of  tears  around  the  hollow  eyes. 
He  is  breathing  painfully,  and  Richard  goes  up  to 
him,  his  teeth  set  and  a  hard  look  on  his  face. 

"  Steve,  darling,"  he  says  softly. 

The  child  does  not  answer,  and  Richard  feels  a 
dryness  in  his  throat  that  he  knows  no  brandy  can 
moisten.  He  kneels  near  the  bed,  reaches  out  his 
arms,  and  takes  the  sufferer  in  them. 

"  Tevie,"  he  says,  recalling  the  baby  language  of 
the  boy's  infantile  days, "  won't  'oo  'peak  to  Papa  ?  " 

There  is  no  answer,  and  a  feeble  groan  escapes  his 
lips  as  he  rises  to  his  feet.  Returning  to  the  parlor 
where  his  wife  is  sitting,  he  says  quietly,  "  I  am  go- 
ing for  a  doctor." 

"  I  have  had  two,"  she  answers.  "  The  crisis  is 
now,  and  nothing  can  be  done  except  to  pursue  the 
treatment.  It  will  be  better  if  he  goes." 

"  Do  not  say  that !  "  he  cries  fiercely ;  and  then  he 
notices  that  her  eyes  are  filled  with  tears,  and  for 
the  first  time  he  sees  the  look  of  weariness  that  long 
watching  has  produced. 


32  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  You  are  tired,  Jennie,"  he  says,  touching  her  on 
the  shoulder.  "  Go  to  bed." 

"  To  bed,  and  my  boy  dying,"  she  sobs. 

He  chokes  down  the  lump  in  his  throat  and  says 
gently,  "  I  will  take  care  of  him.  Do  lie  down, 
dear." 

"  No,"  she  says  bitterly,  "  I  have  watched  him 
suffer  for  seventy-two  hours ;  I  can  see  him  die  now. 
Oh,  God !  I  wish  I  was  going  with  him." 

Richard  hangs  his  head.  When  she  scolds  him 
he  can  afford  to  laugh  and  sneer,  but  this  has  a  dif- 
ferent effect  upon  him.  He  looks  at  her,  hesitates 
a  moment,  and  then  takes  her  on  his  lap  and  draws 
her  wet  face  over  against  his  breast.  He  says  no 
word,  but  takes  his  handkerchief  and  dries  her  face 
gently,  and  then  caresses  it  with  his  hand.  She 
sobs  until  she  is  tired  and  then  commences  to  rebuke 
him. 

"  Please  stop,"  he  says,  the  spell  of  her  former 
gentleness  broken.  "  This  will  do  no  good,  and  it 
is  no  time  for  reproaches.  If  my  boy  dies  it  will 
break  my  heart ;  but,"  fiercely,  "  I  defy  the  cruel 
God  who  does  it." 

"  Oh,  Dick,"  she  cries,  putting  her  hand  over  his 
mouth,  "  don't  say  that.  I  have  been  praying." 

He  laughs  aloud,  and  says,  "  What  rot !  " 

"  Prayers  are  answered,"  she  says  quietly. 


Where  Marriage  Was  a  Failure       33 

"  Oh,  perhaps,  but  not  yours.  If  Steve  gets  well 
you  will  not  pray  for  a  year  again,  or  you  will  not 
be  honester  or  truer  or  better.  Jennie,"  mockingly 
repeating  Katherine's  words,  "  you  must  be  born 
again  before  you  get  your  prayers  in  the  right  key. 
They  don't  go  above  the  ceiling  yet." 

She  is  sobbing  again,  and  he  tries  to  comfort  her, 
and  at  last  she  twines  her  arms  around  his  neck 
and  nestles  close  to  him. 

"  Oh,  Dick,"  she  sobs,  "  why  can't  you  be  happy 
with  Stevie  and  me — we  love  you  so  much." 

"  There,  there,  Jennie,  dear,"  he  says  soothingly, 
and  the  fair,  calm  face  of  the  girl  he  has  just  left  rises 
up  before  him  and  causes  an  almost  imperceptible 
shudder  to  run  through  him. 

"  I  would  die  for  you,  darling." 

"  You  would,  Jennie  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

He  is  thinking  deeply.  She  is  his  wife,  the  mother 
of  the  boy,  and  she  loves  him.  The  other  one  is 
nothing  to  him,  and  she  may  never  love  him;  she 
only  pities  him.  Richard  frowns.  He  likes  admira- 
tion and  feels  he  is  worthy  of  it.  He  is  proud  and 
dislikes  pity,  and  he  sneers  as  he  thinks,  "  Pshaw, 
she  only  knows  missionaries.  How  can  she  admire 
real  men  ?  " 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of?  "  Jennie  asks  softly. 
3 


34  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Of  you,"  he  says,  telling  the  lie  smoothly.  "  Why 
did  you  not  send  for  me  when  Stevie  got  so 
sick?" 

"  I  thought,"  she  said  frankly,  "  that  it  would  be 
punishment  to  you  for  your  neglect  to  us  both  if — 
if—" 

"  If  he  died,"  he  supplements. 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  love  me  ?  "  he  asks  bitterly. 

"  Yes,  Richie  dear,  but " 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  know,"  he  answers,  " in  your  way" 

He  stands  up,  and  taking  her  hand  in  his,  they  go 
into  the  bedroom.  Just  then  the  physician  comes. 
All  three  note  the  enfeebled  breathing,  and  when 
Richard  seizes  the  arm  of  the  man  of  medicine,  he 
replies  by  saying,  "  He  is  going  fast." 

"  Oh,  Christ ! "  gasps  the  father,  throwing  him- 
self on  the  floor. 

His  wife  runs  to  him,  and  she  and  the  physician 
prevail  upon  him  to  be  calm.  Jennie  is  truly  peni- 
tent now,  and  all  her  love  for  her  husband  is  mani- 
fest. She  fondles  his  head,  calls  him  endearing 
names,  and  tells  him  how  Stevie  loved  him,  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  He  puts  her  from  him  gently,  but 
in  a  way  that  forbids  her  going  to  him  again,  and 
walks  up  and  down  the  floor  as  if  frenzied.  Pres- 
ently he  stops  in  his  walking,  and  says,  "  Jennie,  I 


Where  Marriage  Was  a  Failure       35 

want  you  to  go  to  Jersey  City  for  a  doctor  who  lives 
there ;  it  is  our  last  hope." 

"  But,  Dick,  to  leave  him?  " 

"  Will  you  do  it  for  me  ?  "  he  says,  and  the  old 
fascination  in  his  eye  wins  her. 

"  Yes,  dear,"  she  says  briefly. 

He  gives  her  the  address  and  she  is  gone. 

"  Now,"  he  says  fiercely,  "  I  will  risk  it." 

Like  a  mad  man  he  runs  from  the  house,  boards  a 
Ninth  Avenue  "  L "  train,  and  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  is  at  the  parsonage  again. 

"  Tell  Miss  Irving  I  want  to  see  her  immediately," 
he  cries  excitedly  to  the  woman  who  answers  his 
ring,  and  he  paces  up  and  down  the  library  until  she 
makes  her  appearance. 

"  A  little  boy  is  dying,"  he  says  abruptly.  "  I 
adopted  him  when  he  was  an  infant,  and  love  him 
as  if  he  were  my  own.  The  doctors  have  failed,  and 
I  thought  you  might  pray  or  might  be  able  to  do 
something." 

"  I  will  get  Papa,"  she  says,  and  leaves  him. 

At  another  time  he  would  have  pleaded  for  her  to 
go,  but  this  is  too  serious  a  thing  to  let  even  his 
growing  love  interfere  in.  His  devotion  to  his  little 
son  is  the  passion  of  his  life,  and  he  fears  mad- 
ness as  he  sits  idly  in  the  minister's  chair  while  his 
darling  is  slowly  breathing  out  his  life. 


36  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  My  God,  my  God !  "  he  cries,  starting  to  his  feet 
unable  to  bear  the  thoughts  that  crowd  his  mind. 

Just  then  the  Reverend  Doctor  Irving  and  his 
daughter  enter,  both  ready  to  go  with  him.  She 
touches  his  arm  softly,  the  clergyman  opens  the  door 
to  the  street  without  a  word,  and  the  three  pas«  out. 


CHAPTER  V 

SEEKING   AID   FROM    THE    INVISIBLE 

RICHARD  hails  a  passing  cab,  and  in  a  moment 
they  are  whirling  through  the  streets  to  the  tune 
of  a  dirge  of  despair  that  fills  his  heart,  and  which 
he  feels  sure  they  must  hear.  "  Steve  is  dying,  Steve 
is  dying.  My  little  darling  is  passing  away,"  rings, 
rings,  rings,  in  the  same  hopeless  strain  with  every 
fresh  thud  of  the  horses'  hoofs.  Not  a  word  is 
spoken.  The  clergyman  is  praying  silently.  Kathe- 
rine  is  looking  her  sympathy,  and  the  man  on  whose 
shoulders  the  load  of  a  city's  sorrow  seems  to  be 
resting,  is  breathing  heavily  and  moistening  his  lips 
with  his  parched  tongue. 

Presently  the  driver  comes  to  a  standstill,  and 
Richard  springs  out,  the  desperate  look  of  a  man 
who  has  risked  all  on  his  face.  He  reaches  his  hand 
to  Katherine,  helps  her  up  the  steps,  opens  the  door, 
and  runs  up  the  stairs  with  a  hoarse,  "  this  way," 
given  as  directions  to  those  accompanying  him. 
37 


38  Souls  in  Pawn 

Rushing  to  the  bedroom,  he  bends  down  to  catch 
the  faint  breathing  of  the  dying  boy,  and  feverishly 
seizes  the  little  wrist  and  notes  the  faint  pulse. 

"  He  lives,  but  that  is  all,"  he  says  despairingly, 
and  Katherine  goes  near  to  him,  seeing  with  a  spirit- 
ual insight  that  he  needs  her. 

The  minister  of  God  looks  at  the  boy  and  at  Rich- 
ard, and  then  says  slowly,  "  Have  you  had  your  sins 
forgiven,  my  son  ?  Are  you  a  child  of  God  ?  " 

"  No,"  Richard  answers  stiffly. 

"  Do  you  not  believe  then  that " 

"  I  believe  in  the  God  who  raises  my  boy  up,"  he 
answers  shortly;  and  then  he  goes  over  to  Dr.  Irv- 
ing, and,  putting  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  says  im- 
pressively, "  You  are  a  clergyman,  and  I  am  a 
wicked  man,  but  if  you  raise  my  boy  up  I  may  wear 
your  garb  yet.  I  will  give  myself  to  your  God." 

"  Make  what  promise  you  will  to  God,  my  son, 
and  He  may  answer.  I  can  promise  nothing.  I  do 
believe  that  Christ  bore  all  our  infirmities,  and  that 
faith  in  Him  can  raise  even  from  the  dead.  Let  us 
pray." 

Richard  and  Katherine  kneel  side  by  side;  the 
minister  goes  to  the  bedside,  lays  his  hand  on  the 
boy  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God,  and  with  closed  eyes  tells  of 
the  healing  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  the  casting  out 


Seeking  Aid  from  the  Invisible        39 

of  devils  and  the  raising  of  the  dead  by  the  One  who 
is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever. 

"  Do  you  think  Christ  can  do  it  ?  "  Richard  whis- 
pers to  Katherine ;  and  she  answers  him  in  Christ's 
own  words,  "  Whether  is  easier  to  say,  thy  sins  be 
forgiven  thee,  or  to  say,  arise  and  walk  ?  " 

"  Let  us  take  this  by  faith,  Katherine,"  her  father 
says  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes,  Papa.  I  believe  that  not  only  is  God  able 
to  do  this,  but  that  He  will  do  it." 

"  Blessed  be  His  holy  name,"  says  the  clergyman, 
and  both  heads  are  bowed  in  silent  prayer. 

A  faint  little  cough  breaks  the  solemn  stillness, 
and  Richard  springs  to  his  feet  and  rushes  for  a 
glass  of  water  which  he  puts  to  the  child's  lips. 
Slowly,  very  slowly,  a  few  drops  of  the  cooling 
draught  are  swallowed,  and  then  a  sigh  of  relief  and 
the  little  fellow  lifts  up  his  hand  over  his  head,  and 
lies  down  breathing  feebly  but  naturally. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  thank  you,  Doctor,"  cries  Rich- 
ard ecstatically,  and  then  he  bursts  into  tears. 

The  man  of  God  looks  at  him,  and  says  quietly, 
"  Thank  Him,"  and  Katherine  goes  to  the  bedside 
and  kisses  the  little  patient  on  the  forehead.  Rich- 
ard sees  it  and  his  heart  grows  warm  within  him. 

"  My  little  adopted  son  is  a  good  boy,  Miss  Irv- 
ing," he  says  feelingly. 


4-O  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  And  you  will  be  worthy  of  him  yet,  Mr.  Master- 
son,"  she  answers.  "  I  have  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  big  heart  God  has  given  you,  and  I  think,"  this 
in  an  earnest  friendly  voice,  "  I  know  you  better 
now." 

He  does  not  answer,  but  takes  her  hand  and 
presses  it,  and  her  father  looks  down  at  him,  scru- 
tinizing his  face  as  if  to  read  the  story  of  every  line 
and  wrinkle  on  its  now  pallid  surface. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Irving  is  one  of  the  men  who 
impress  every  one  at  first  by  their  great  size.  He 
is  tall  and  broad  shouldered,  but  not  as  big  as  he 
really  looks.  There  is  an  appearance  of  physical 
power  and  prowess  about  him  that  even  his  stooped 
shoulders  cannot  take  away  or  his  easy,  soft  voice 
lessen.  He  has  piercing  black  eyes,  a  heavy  black 
beard,  a  broad,  massive  forehead,  heavy  eyebrows, 
and  ponderous  fists.  His  parishioners  tell  of  a  time 
when  he  was  dying  of  consumption,  but  sceptics 
smile  when  they  hear  the  story  of  "  divine  healing," 
and  look  at  the  powerful,  vigorous  man  whose 
clerical  and  literary  work  would  drive  many  a  strong 
business  man  into  nervous  prostration. 

Richard  catches  his  eye,  and  for  some  reason  he 
cowers  a  little  before  it. 

"  I  believe  the  little  fellow  is  better,"  says  the  min- 
ister, and  his  voice  is  soft,  deep,  and  strangely  fasci- 


Seeking  Aid  from  the  Invisible        41 

nating.  "  My  daughter  and  I  will  go  now,  but  we 
will  remember  you  before  our  Father.  Do  not  forget 
your  promise  to  Himt  Whenever  you  want  me  I 
will  come  gladly." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  says  Richard  cordially.  "  Give 
me  time  to  think,  and  do  not  come  before  I  send  for 
you." 

"  Very  well.  And  now  let  me  give  you  a  word  of 
advice.  Get  some  one  to  look  after  the  little  fellow 
and  see  that  you  yourself  have  a  good  rest.  Your 
nerves  are  unstrung  and  are  playing  out  of  tune." 

Richard  promises,  shakes  hands  with  both,  and 
gratefully  hears  them  shut  the  street  door. 

He  peeps  through  the  window,  notes  the  rusty 
black  of  the  minister's  garb  and  his  sturdy  appear- 
ance, and  mutters,  "  No  lantern-jawed  missionary 
there — My  stars !  but  I  am  glad  Jennie  has  not  re- 
turned." Then  he  lies  down  near  his  boy,  calling 
him  endearing,  fond  names,  and  when  he  notices 
the  fragrance  of  heliotrope  on  the  little  fellow's  fore- 
head he  puts  his  lips  where  Katherine's  have  rested. 


CHAPTER  VI 

KATHERINE    HAS    A    NOISY    VISITOR 

"Miss  IRVING  too  tired  to  see  anybody,  eh  ?  Well, 
you  just  tell  her  that  Denis  Switzerdonnerblizen  is 
here  and  wants  to  see  her  immediately,  because  sev- 
eral of  the  people  at  the  mission  are  on  fire,  and " 

"  Oh,  sir,  that's  terrible !  "  cries  Mrs.  Gleason, 
cook  and  maid  of  all  work,  clasping  her  hands  and 
rolling  her  eyes  furiously.  "  Sure,  'tis  a  fit  Miss 
Irving  '11  have." 

"  Thank  you  for  preparing  me,"  says  the  visitor 
calmly.  "  I  won't  be  nervous." 

Mrs.  Gleason  did  not  hear  his  response,  but  ran 
madly  upstairs,  her  thoughts  and  tongue  flying  even 
faster  than  her  feet,  and  when  she  reached  the  bed- 
room1 where  Katherine  was  lying  on  a  couch  thinking 
of  the  scenes  that  had  just  transpired  at  the  bed- 
side of  the  sick  boy,  she  cried  in  a  loud  voice,  "  The 
mission  and  all  the  people  is  on  fire.  Glory  be  to 
God!" 

"  What !  "  screamed  Katherine,  springing  to  her 
feet,  not  in  a  mood  to  thank  God  for  a  wholesale  con- 
flagration. 

4* 


Katherine  Has  a  Noisy  Visitor         43 

"  Tis  thrue.  Sure,  Misther  Fitzensomethingfix- 
him  says  so.  The  firemen  are  thryin'  to  do  something 
but  'tis  little  they  can  do  at  all,  at  all." 

"  Mrs.  Gleason,  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  " 
cried  Katherine.  "  Who  told  you  this  ?  " 

"  Misther  Fitzenfixhim." 

"Who?" 

"  Oh,  some  Pennsylvania  Dutchman  that's  down 
stairs.  There,  he's  playing  the  pianner." 

The  strain  of  "You'll  Remember  Me"  fell  on 
Katherine's  ears,  and  she  seized  a  loose  travelling 
cloak,  and,  throwing  it  around  her,  ran  down  to  the 
parlor  and  stood  still  in  the  doorway,  nearly  over- 
throwing Mrs.  Gleason,  who  had  maintained  full 
speed  behind  her. 

"  They're  on  fire,"  said  the  man  at  the  piano 
soberly,  shaking  his  head. 

"  Who?    Now,  John,  what  is  the  matter?  " 

"  I  told  her"  John  answered  soberly,  pointing  to 
Mrs.  Gleason. 

"  Yis,  yis.  He  told  me  that  the  mission's  on  fire 
an'  the  people  burnin',  and  the  fireman  can  do  noth- 
in'." 

"  Oh,  you  fibber,"  said  John  reproachfully. 

"  Why  did  you  alarm  dear  Miss  Irving?  Why,  I 
merely  said,  in  the  calmest  way  possible,  that  some 
of  the  mission  folks  were  all  on  fire." 


44  Souls  in  Pawn 

"Well?" 

"  That  was  what  they  told  me  when  I  laughed 
in  meeting.  My  laugh  was  occasioned  by  a  request 
for  universal  prayer  that  Christians  who  are  happy 
or  ever  dare  to  laugh  while  others  are  living  in  sin, 
should  be  brought  to  see  the  error  of  their  way  by 
sorrow  and  grief.  Mr.  Wallace  threw  his  chest  out 
and  said,  '  look  here,  brother,  we  are  zealous  for  a 
solemn  righteousness  and  we  will  have  no  impish 
laughter  here.  We  are  all  on  fire  for  goodness/ 
Brother  Schetze  said, '  Yes,  und  I'm  a  holy  man  und 
vill  sdamp  mine  fut  against  de  vorks  off  de  deffil, 
for  I  too  am  enlighted  und  feel  dat  I  must  pe  a 
purner  und  a  shining  light.  So  pehold  I  shine  und 
purn  und  I  laugh  not.'  Why,  Miss  Irving,"  con- 
tinued John,  "  I  thought  I  ought  to  come  and  notify 
you,  as  I  am  not  aware  that  the  place  is  insured." 

"  John,  when  will  you  get  sense  ?  "  questioned 
Katherine  half  crossly,  half  laughingly.  "  You 
nearly  frightened  me  to  death." 

"  Look  here,"  cried  Mrs.  Gleason,  now  thoroughly 
aroused,  seeing  the  deception  practised  upon  her, 
"  isn't  your  name  Dinis  Fitzhimasomething  ?  " 

"  No,  miadame,  I  am  not  a  pump  that  I  need  a 
handle  of  that  kind." 

"  Well,  you  told  me  it  was." 

"'  Madame,"  and  the  visitor  stood  up  and  looked 


Katherine  Has  a  Noisy  Visitor         45 

the  cook  squarely  in  the  eyes,  "  do  you  mean  to  tell 
me  that  my  name  is  Denis-Fitzhimasomething  ?  " 

"  Well,  'twas  like  it,"  Mrs.  Gleason  answered 
hotly,  "  an'  'tis  a  haythen  an'  not  a  Christian  ye'are 
to  come  here  wid  lies  about  fire." 

"  And  'tis  you  that  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  your- 
self to  add  the  tale  about  the  firemen.  Fie,  fie !  And 
then  to  tell  me  that  Miss  Irving  was  too  tired  to  see 
anybody,  when  she  came  down  those  stairs,  three 
steps  at  a  time.  I  think  I  ought  to  have  a  word  with 
you  about  breaking  a  certain  commandment." 

"  Do  not  mind  him,  Mrs.  Gleason,"  said  Katherine, 
now  fully  alive  to  the  humor  of  the  situation.  "  This 
is  Mr.  Pierce,  and  that  was  only  his  original  way  of 
getting  to  see  me  in  spite  of  your  objections." 

"  Misther  John  Pierce  ?  The  gentleman  what  your 
father  sez  lives  nearer  to  heaven  than  any  man  he 
knows  ?  "  literally  yells  Mrs.  Gleason. 

Katherine  is  slightly  embarrassed,  but  not  so, 
John.  He  sees  Mrs.  Gleason's  startled  countenance 
and  asks  roguishly,  "  And  now,  madame,  on  which 
side  is  my  heaven  ?  " 

"  T'other  side,"  answers  Mrs.  Gleason  shortly,  and 
she  leaves  the  room  amid  the  laughter  of  her  hearers. 

"  Now,  John,  what  made  you  come  here  to  wake 
me  up  from  my  sweet  dreams  of  peace  ?  "  said  Kath- 
erine when  they  were  left  alone. 


46  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Well,  they  did  not  want  me  at  the  mission,  and 
I  concluded  you  would.  So  here  I  am." 

"  But  I  did  not,  for  I  was  tired,"  answered  Kath- 
erine,  pretending  to  look  very  cross  but  failing  dis- 
mally. 

"  Well,  so  was  I.  Now,  lie  down  on  the  couch  and 
I  will  fan  you  if  you  read  to  me  afterwards  while  I 
have  a  rest." 

"  Oh,  cease  your  nonsense,  John,"  said  Katherine 
laughing. 

"  Nonsense !  Well,  Katherine,  if  you  were  shaken 
up  for  your  sins  by  a  Dutchman;  sent  out  of  the 
'  Land  of  Canaan '  by  a  converted  Jew ;  told  you 
were  a  *  theological  ninny '  by  a  Scotchman ;  and 
literally  frozen  out  through  a  keyhole  by  a  woman 
whose  very  appearance  told  you  she  knew  every  ver- 
sion of  the  Bible  extant,  you  would  not  feel  very  non- 
sensical." 

"Who  was  she,  and  what  did  she  do  to  you?" 
asked  Katherine  laughing. 

"  I  call  her  Charity-Gone- Astray,  as  that  is  the 
only  name  I  knew  her  by.  She  was  leading  a  '  meet- 
ing for  Christians '  at  the  mission,  and  after  giving 
everybody  a  free  dinner,  she  spoke  about  the  great 
work  God  has  for  His  children  to  do,  and  that  He 
does  not  want  them  mixed  up  with  the  world  in  any 
secular  work.  [They  ought  all  to  be  preachers  and 


Katherine  Has  a  Noisy  Visitor         47 

prayers.  I  will  impersonate  her  for  a  moment,  Kath- 
erine." 

Here,  John  got  up,  and  in  a  high  falsetto  voice  he 
told  his  story,  closing  every  word  with  a  hissing 
sound.  This  was  the  burden  of  his  message : 

"  '  Many  Christians,  dear  ones,  are  working  merely 
to  support  the  flesh  when  they  ought  to  be  singing 
in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  The  church  and  not  the 
business  office  is  a  Christian's  place.' 

"  Yes,"  this  in  his  natural  voice,  "  I  answered, 
and  there  are  lots  of  so-called  missionaries  and  false 
teachers  who  ought  to  be  earning  an  honest  living, 
and  emulating  Jesus  the  carpenter,  and  Paul  the 
tent-maker,  by  exalting  labor  and  righteousness. 
God  never  intended  us  all  to  be  preachers,  but  we 
are  all  to  be  doers  of  the  word." 

"  '  Be  careful  of  the  flesh,  brother.' 

" '  Oh,  I  will  leave  that  to  the  members  of  your 
Holy  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Honest  Labor. 
They  will  let  nothing  hurt  it." 

"  '  Oh,  the  insidious  flesh ! '  a  hiss. 

" '  Oh  bother,  madame/  said  I,  really  going 
farther  than  I  intended  to,  '  God  gave  it  to  us.  I 
suppose  it  is  better  than  putty.'  Here  I  laughed, 
and  at  this  point  I  was  attacked  on  all  sides.  A  fat 
old  woman  in  the  back  of  the  room  misquoted 
solemnly  and  irreverently, '  As  for  me  and  my  house, 


48  Souls  in  Pawn 

we  will  pray  and  not  work,  for  good  works  will  not' 
enter  Heaven.'  This  was  followed  by  a  pensioner 
of  your  father,  who  said,  '  Go  ye  and  see  visions  and 
dream  dreams  and  drive  the  enemy  from  the  land, 
ay  even  this  man  who  laughs  is  a  Jebusite.'  The 
organist  said,  '  The  harvest  of  fools  and  critics  are 
many ' ;  and  not  being  able  to  contain  myself  any 
longer,  I  quoted,  'Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
them',  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  ye  seek  me, 
not  because  ye  saw  the  miracles,  but  because  ye  did 
eat  of  the  loaves  and  were  filled.'  This  was  ignored 
by  the  lady  leader,  who  reminded  her  hearers,  who 
were  all  shaking  their  heads  by  this  time,  that  they 
were  to  ignore  the  flesh  always;  but  the  Cherman 
brudder  announced  the  second  time  that  he  was  on 
fire,  and  this  time  it  was  mit  a  desire  to  put  me  out, 
an'  I  had  better  retire.  So  I  did." 

"  John,  John,"  says  Katherine,  almost  in  convul- 
sions, "  you  have  mortally  offended  Mrs.  de  Rutyer, 
She  is  the  principal  support  of  our  mission." 

"  I  don't  care  if  she  is  the  floor  and  cellar,"  said 
John.  "  She  has  no  right  to  be  encouraging  a  lot 
of  lazy  fellows  who  need  to  remember  that  God 
wants  shoemlakers  and  hod-carriers  and  carpenters 
as  well  as  missionaries.  God  has  given  each  one 
of  us  a  talent  and  we  are  to  use  that,  and  not  attempt 
to  counterfeit  someone  else's." 


Katherine  Has  a  Noisy  Visitor         49 

"True,"  assents  Katherine,  "but  she  does  not 
see  it  in  that  way." 

"  Then  I  will  lend  her  my  spectacles.  If  she  is 
sincere,  and  I  believe  she  is,  my  talk  will  do  her 
good.  Think  of  her  going  there  week  after  week 
with  bananas  and  roly-polys  and  gooseberry  sand- 
wiches, and  asking  a  lot  of  lazy  pilgrims  what  St. 
Paul's  thorn  in  the  flesh  was." 

"  Now,  John,  every  week  ?  " 

"  Honor  bright,  Katherine.  And  the  old  rascals 
answer  each  time  in  the  same  piping  voices,  as  if 
they  heard  the  question  for  the  first  time.  '  We  be- 
lieve it  was  either  because  he  was  a  tent-maker  or 
had  an  unconverted  wife,  Ma'am.'  " 

Katherine  laughs  loud  and  long,  John  seizes  her 
hand,  and  just  then  her  father  enters  and  joins  in 
the  contagious  mirth. 

"  What  has  John  done  now  ?  "  he  asks,  peering 
under  his  heavy  eyebrows  at  the  culprit,  who  drops 
Katherine's  hand  hastily,  and  looks  almost  as  con- 
fused as  she  does  before  her  father's  amused  gaze. 

"  Crossed  theological  swords  with  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer,"  gasps  Katherine,  very  glad  that  he  asked  that 
question  and  not  another. 

The  Doctor  rubs  his  shaggy  head  and  a  suspicion 
of  a  smile  crosses  his  face,  but  he  says  nothing  ex- 
cept to  ask,  "  How  did  it  end  ?  " 
4 


50  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  It  may  end  by  Mrs.  Gleason  poisoning  me.  She 
looked  at  me  as  if  I  was  a  fiend  incarnate  when  she 
left  the  room.  I  say,  Katherine,  ask  me  to  stay  to 
tea  so  as  to  give  her  a  chance." 

"  Yes,  do  stay.  You  need  to  be  strengthened  for 
the  work  before  you,  for  you  have  plunged  head- 
long into  a  hornet's  nest." 

"  May  I  come  here  every  time  I  am  stung  ?  "  he 
says  in  a  whisper;  but  low  as  it  is  said,  the  Doctor 
hears  it  and  smiles.  He  smiles  again  when  Kath- 
erine answers: 

"  No,  John,  I  will  give  you  a  chance  to  be  mar- 
tyred. You  are  too  good  for  this  world." 

"  But  not  too  good  for  you,"  says  John  roguishly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  far  too  good.  If  you  belonged  to  me  I 
would  worry  to  death  for  fear  you  would  suddenly 
fade  from  my  sight  in  a  mist  of  your  own  goodness." 

"  I  do  belong  to  you,  Katherine,"  he  whispers  in 
a  low  voice. 

Katherine  blushes,  and  her  father  lays  down  the 
book  he  has  been  pretending  to  read,  and  says  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  deep,  black  eyes,  "  What  a  trouble- 
some possession  you  have,  Katherine." 


CHAPTER  VII 

A   DISCUSSION    OF    CHINATOWN    AND    ITS    CONVERTS 

WHEN  the  three  friends  sat  down  to  tea  John  dis- 
played a  great  interest  in  the  saying  of  the  grace 
and  in  the  hem  of  his  napkin,  and  the  weight  of  the 
quadruple-plate  knives  and  forks.  He  coughed  of- 
tener  than  etiquette  would  consider  right,  moved 
his  feet  under  the  table,  and  even  struck  his  knee 
nervously  with  his  hand.  Truth  to  tell,  he  felt  un- 
easy about  Dr.  Irving's  remark.  He  was  not  pre- 
pared for  the  revelation  of  his  feelings  the  clergy- 
man received  in  that  little  remark  meant  for  Kath- 
erine's  ears  alone,  and  he  wondered  how  it  was  taken. 
Would  the  Doctor,  in  that  calm  way  of  his,  say,  "  I 
would  not  see  John  so  much  in  future  if  I  were  you, 
Katherine."  And  would  Katherine  accept  her 
father's  good  judgment  in  this  as  in  everything  else? 
The  very  thought  of  it  made  a  creepy  sensation  find 
its  way  up  John's  back,  and  prevented  his  appreciat- 
ing the  sarcastic  head-shakes  of  Mrs.  Gleason  as  she 
passed  by  him,  though  she  was  extremely  anxious 
that  he  should  see  them. 

51 


52  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  How  solemn  he  is  before  the  parson  and  her, 
th'  ould  hypocrit ! "  was  her  mental  remark  as  she 
left  the  dining-room. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  work  of  the  mission  in 
general,  John  ? "  asked  Dr.  Irving,  arousing  the 
dreamer  from  his  dull,  brown  study. 

"  I  think  it  is  like  everything  else  in  the  world — 
half  good  and  half  bad,"  said  John  frankly.  "  We 
need  less  of  self-glorification  down  there.  I  wish 
this  glorying  about  conversions  was  done  away  with ; 
there  is  far  too  much  of  it." 

The  minister  ran  his  fingers  through  his  long, 
thick  hair,  as  was  his  wont,  but  said  nothing;  and 
Katherine  noting  his  perplexity  said,  "  Explain 
yourself,  John." 

"  Well,  Katherine,"  said  John  earnestly,  "  I  for 
one  object  to  the  giving  of  testimonies  that  speak  of 
one's  past  life." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Katherine  quietly,  "  and  this 
morning's  post  proves  to  me  that  I  am  right.  I  have 
a  letter  here  from  Alice  Masland,  who  was  converted 
at  the  Rescue  Home  a  year  ago,  and  who  has  been 
so  very  strong  in  her  determination  for  the  right 
ever  since.  She  says,  '  I  am  sick  and  tired  of  it  all. 
I  have  testified  about  my  past  life  in  public  until  the 
very  stones  in  the  street  seem  to  say,  "  One  year,  two 
weeks,  and  three  days  an  honest  woman."  Everyone 


Chinatown  and  Its  Converts  53 

knows  me.  I  have  advertised  myself  as  a  horrible 
example,  and  have  pictured  myself  in  such  bad  colors 
that  I  no  longer  want  to  look  upon  the  picture.  One 
person  has  whispered  to  another  about  me  until  I 
find  my  Christian  life  not  a  pilgrim's  progress  but 
a  criminal's  dress  parade.'  " 

"  Shocking !  "  cried  John.  "  Upon  my  word,  it  is 
nearly  as  bad  as  the  medieval  methods  of  reforma- 
tion that  prescribe  moral  efforts  in  homoeopathic, 
and  penance  and  solitude  in  allopathic  doses." 

"  The  church  has  never  been  quite  right  on  this 
question,"  said  Dr.  Irving,  slowly.  "  We  are  only 
faintly  sighting  the  dawn  of  the  morning.  It  would 
be  well  if  we,  like  Christ,  were  seekers  of  individu- 
als rather  than  organization  builders.  It  is  this  love 
of  glory,  this  enthroning  of  self,  that  makes  these 
industrious  builders  get  up  their  statistics  of  famous 
converts,  famous  methods,  and  famous  proofs  of 
their  rights  to  heaven.  They  argue  with  each  other 
whether  their  opposing  proselytes  and  their  converts 
are  honest  or  not,  instead  of  doing  the  work  of  the 
One  whom  they  say  sent  them." 

"  I  know  that  it  is  only  the  Wor4  of  God  that 
converts,  and  yet  I  would  not  care  to  say  that 
'  testimony '  giving  should  be  stopped,"  said  Kathe- 
rine,  pausing  between  every  word.  "  I  have  heard 
of  people  who  declared  that  they  were  led  to  God 


54  Souls  in  Pawn 

because  others  had  told  how  their  evil  habits  were 
broken,  and  how  their  souls  were  redeemed  from 
slavery.  I  am  afraid  that  recounting  one's  sins  is 
apt  to  keep  one  living  in  their  atmosphere  and  make 
them  take  a  peculiar  kind  of  pride  in  their  past 
wickedness;  and  I  am  afraid,  too,  that  in  many  in- 
stances it  takes  away  that  sensitiveness  to  sin  that 
is  so  necessary.  Oh,  we  ought  to  point  forward  to 
the  light,  and  not  backward  at  the  unspeakable  dark- 
ness." 

"  She  has  your  conservatism  and  cool  judgment, 
Doctor,"  said  John,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  tell 
which  man  looked  the  proudest  just  then. 

"  We  are  in  God's  work  for  His  glory  and  for  the 
benefit  of  our  brothers  and  sisters,  who  are  truly 
that,  if  He  is  our  Father,"  said  Katherine ;  "  and 
God  forbid  that  we  should  do  anything  to  hinder  His 
plans.  We  must  study  this  thing  closely  and  sift 
our  work  of  all  that  is  wrong.  We  must  study  the 
problems  that  meet  us  at  every  step  in  the  haunts  of 
the  poor.  To  truly  help  my  sister,  I  must  know  her, 
feel  with  her,  understand  what  makes  her  cry  and 
lie  awake  at  night,  and  I  must  seek  the  things  that 
make  her  laugh  and  give  to  her  the  sleep  that  even 
her  babyhood  was  deprived  of." 

Not  a  word  was  said  for  a  moment,  and  then  Johw 
asked :  "  Where  is  Alice? " 


Chinatown  and  Its  Converts  55 

"  I  sent  her  to  the  country,  and  not  even  to  you, 
John,  will  I  tell  where.  My  poor  Alice  must  begin 
anew,  and  in  a  happier  way." 

"  Did  you  tell  John  about  your  children's  work, 
Katherine  ?  "  asked  her  father  presently. 

"  Oh,  no,  and  John  you  must  help  me ;  you  do 
play  the  banjo  so  sweetly." 

"  Oh,  you  flatterer,"  said  John.  "  Why,  it  is  only 
a  week  ago  since  you  said  my  playing  sounded  like 
a  lame  horse's  gallop  on  a  wet  road." 

"  But  my  little  girls  will  never  know  that,  they 
love  noise  so,  and  you  can  get  that  out  of  it." 

"And  where  am  I  to  go  as  the  apostle  of  noise, 
pray?"  asked  John,  turning  up  the  whites  of  his 
eyes. 

"  To  Chinatown." 

"  Oh,  I  have  no  doubt  but  what  I  will  be  in  keep- 
ing with  the  crowds  there.  But  where  is  it?  In 
San  Francisco?" 

"  No,  it  is  right  here  in  New  York.  Pell,  Doyer, 
Mott,  Baxter  Streets,  Chatham  Square,  and  the  sur- 
rounding streets  go  to  make  it  up.  I  have  sug- 
gested to  some  of  the  young  girls  I  have  met  in  my 
visiting,  the  organizing  of  a  club ;  and  I  think  they 
will  fall  in  with  my  idea.  The  children  are  the  next 
generation,  and  we  must  reach  them  and  save 
them." 


56  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  And  what  can  I  do  to  help  you  besides  making 
noise,"  asked  John,  secretly  rejoicing  that  he  was 
given  the  opportunity  to  do  some  good,  and  that  she 
had  chosen  him  in  preference  to  some  one  else. 

"  You  can  tell  funny  stories,  laugh  as  loud  as  you 
can,  meet  the  children's  fathers  when  they  are  going 
to  the  saloons,  and  without  preaching  prove  to  them 
that  a  Christian  is  a  happy  being.  Do  as  you  have 
done  in  the  Twenty-third  Street  mission,  John,  and 
that  is  all  I  will  ask  of  you." 

"  That  reminds  me,"  said  John,  a  little  embar- 
rassed, in  spite  of  his  usual  equanimity,  "  that  that 
young  man  who  has  been  attending  our  services  so 
long  is  not  converted  yet.  I  mean  the  tall  man  in 
gray  who  talks  with  you  so  frequently." 

"  No,  though  I  think  he  will  be  soon,"  said  Kathe- 
rine. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  him,  John  ?  "  asked  Div 
Irving. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  have  an  opinion  about  any 
man  that  is  not  well  founded,  Doctor,"  answered 
John  looking  grave.  "  He  is,  perhaps,  a  great  deal 
better  than  his  environment.  Poor  fellow !  " 

"  You  dear,  good,  old  John,  that  is  just  like  you," 
said  Katherine ;  but  somehow  John  wished  she  had 
not  said  it.  Had  she  felt  it  and  kept  silent  he  would 
have  more  hopes  of  having  his  dreams  realized  than 


Chinatown  and  Its  Converts  57 

he  had  at  this  particular  moment.  And  yet  she  looks 
at  him  as  she  does  at  no  one  else;  ah,  well,  who 
knows  a  woman's  heart  ? 

"  Biscuit  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Gleason,  suddenly,  at  his 
elbow. 

"  That  is  not  my  name,  Mrs.  Gleason,"  he  an- 
swered with  pretended  stiffness.  "  You  seem  to 
have  picked  me  out  as  a  special  target  to-day." 

"  I  ?  "  cried  Mrs.  Gleason  in  surprise,  the  false 
fringe  she  wore  looking  dangerously  near  breaking 
its  last  hold  on  the  tiny  hair-pin  that  held  it. 

"  Yes,  you.  You  have  purposely  insulted  me  and 
misrepresented  my  statements,"  and  John  com- 
menced to  devour  his  biscuit  angrily. 

"  Yer  a  madman,  that's  what  y'are." 

"  Baa !  "  yelled  John,  suddenly  springing  from  his 
chair,  and  down  went  Mrs.  Gleason's  tray  and  Mrs. 
Gleason  herself  with  a  crash  that  sounded  as  if  the 
roof  had  fallen  in,  for  the  parsonage  cook  was  of  a 
goodly  size. 

Katherine  and  John  helped  her  to  rise,  while  the 
Doctor  lay  back  in  his  chair  and  roared,  in  spite  of 
his  feeble  but  dignified  attempts  at  restraint. 

"  Ye'll  pay  for  my  chayney,  that's  what  ye  will,  ye 
omadhawn,"  puffed  the  now  disgruntled  woman. 

"  You'll  pay  for  a  libel  suit,"  retaliated  John. 

"  I'll  pay  for  a  suit  ornamented  with  sthripes  for 


58  Souls  in  Pawn 

ye,"  answered  Mrs.  Gleason,  and  she  left  the  room 
not  a  little  proud  of  her  own  wit,  and  very  much 
determined  that  John  would  not  get  inside  the  door 
of  the  parsonage  for  many  a  day  to  come. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    FINNEGAN    ASSOCIATION 

KATIE  FINNEGAN  lived  in  Chinatown,  but  China- 
town did  not  inspire  the  patriot's  love  of  home  in 
Katie  Finnegan.  Higher  ideals  than  the  neighbor- 
hood had  ever  fostered  filled  Katie's  heart,  and  a 
thousand  new  emotions  careened  through  her  four- 
teen-year old  body  when  she  discovered  that  girls 
might  have  a  club  as  well  as  boys. 

"  Say,  Sadie,  it's  a  bang  up  ting,  dis  club  busi- 
ness," she  declared  to  Sadie  Cohen  who  disturbed 
her  meditations  by  stepping  on  her  foot.  "  Miss  Irv- 
ing, w'at  used  to  visit  me  aunt,  says  girls  can  start 
one,  an'  I  saw  in  wan  o'  de  papers  dat  ders  a  club  o' 
dames  called  Soceresses.  Say,  Sadie,  can't  we  do 
someting  on  dat  line,  hey  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  should  say  so,"  commented  Sadie,  and 
the  club  was  immediately  started. 

"  I'll  be  president,"  declared  Katie,  "  an'  you  be 
vice-president.  Let's  elect  ourselves."  And  they 
did,  Katie  voting  for  Sadie  and  Sadie  for.  Katie. 

59 


60  Souls  in  Pawn 

Next  day  a  careful  canvass  was  made  of  the  neigh- 
borhood with  the  result  that  twenty-five  little  girls, 
representing  all  shades  and  conditions  of  society, 
congregated  that  night  at  the  house  of  Senor  Do- 
minico.  Dominico  was  a  night  watchman,  and  as 
his  thirteen-year-old  daughter  Lizzie  was  his  sole 
housekeeper,  the  club  was  sure  of  hospitable  shelter 
in  his  absence.  Katie  Finnegan  sat  on  the  table, 
waited  until  the  prospective  members  were  all  seated 
around,  and  then  announced,  "  We're  a  club  an'  I'm 
president.  See  ?  " 

"  Oh !  I  see,"  cried  Mollie  Angelico,  the  organ- 
grinder's  heiress,  "  but  who  made  ye  wan  ?  " 

"  Meself,  o'course,"  was  the  dignified  answer, 
"who'd  ever  think  o'  askin'  Mrs.  King  Humbert 
who  made  her  queen  o'  Italy  ?  " 

"  Sure,"  assented  several  loyal  Italian  subjects, 
and  no  more  objections  were  raised. 

"  Sadie  Cohen  is  me  vice.  I  guess  we'll  elect  de 
udder  officers  right  away." 

"  Ah,  give  the  club  a  name  first,"  objected  Mattie 
Foy,  a  Chinese  belle  who  chewed  gum  complacently 
and  looked  as  if  she  knew  as  much  as  the  president. 

"  Shut  up,  you !  Yer  only  a  wisitor,"  ordered  the 
president.  "  Would  ye  go  about  makin'  a  box  wid- 
out  nails  or  wood  ?  " 

"Well,  who'll  eleck  dem,  den?"  questioned  Mat- 
tie  again. 


The  Finnegan  Association  61 

"  I  will." 

"  Phew !    Haint  we  got  nottin'  to  say  ?  " 

"  No !  Would  ye  send  a  feller  to  yer  sick  mud- 
der  w'at  never  juggled  wid  medicine?  I  under- 
stand votin',  see  ?  An'  you  don't,  see  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  mimicked  Mattie ;  "  but  I  haint  a- 
goin'  to  go  up  agin  any  one-horse  affair,  see  ?  " 

"  Horses  had  to  come  before  trolley-cars,"  said 
the  president  gravely. 

"  Say,"  whispered  Carrie  Schmeerkase  to  Ange- 
lina Moccihay,  "  she  talks  in  parables." 

"  An'  what's  parables  ?  "  asked  the  puzzled  Ange- 
lina. 

"  Oh,  dey're  Bible  t'ings  w'at  makes  you  guess 
t'ings  you  can't  understand,"  replied  Carrie;  and 
the  president,  who  was  listening,  sweetly  smiled 
approval. 

"  Suppose  me  and  me  vice  adjourn,"  said  the 
president,  and  they  did  by  going  into  the  little  dark 
bedroom  off  the  kitchen  to  discuss  the  important 
affairs  of  the  club. 

"  Sadie,  dis  Mattie  Foy  is  goin'  to  make  us  trouble 
unless  we  make  her  one  of  us,"  shrewdly  said  the 
president.  "  I  guess  we'll  call  her  in  an'  manage 
her." 

"  Good  plan,"  commented  the  "  vice,"  and  Mattie 
was  called  in. 


62  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Mattie,  I  nominate  and  'lect  ye  for  treasurer,  an* 
yer  chum,  Maggie  Laviniso,  for  sec'tary  of  our  new 
club,"  said  the  politic  president,  smiling  suavely. 

"  Good  for  you !  "  said  Mattie,  growing  red  with 
pleasure. 

"  Now,  yer  to  stand  wid  us ;  a  piece  o'  bread  cut 
up  is  only  crumbs,  y'  know." 

"  I  know,"  asserted  the  treasurer.  "  Sure  'nough, 
horses  had  to  come  before  trolleys." 

"  An'  now,"  said  the  diplomatic  president,  "  we'll 
let  de  club  pick  out  a  name.  We  won't  say  a  t'ing, 
and  de  guys  will  t'ink  dey're  doin'  de  whole  t'ing." 

"  Bully  for  you,  president !  "  said  Mattie ;  "  den, 
when  dey're  in  good  humor  we  can  take  up  de  col- 
lection like  de  churches  do." 

"  Ye  mean  de  fee ;  dat's  good,  dat's  good,"  and 
the  president  nodded  her  head  at  the  sagacious  sug- 
gestion. 

The  members  cried  out  name  after  name,  but  the 
president  never  smiled  until  the  "  Finnegan  Asso- 
ciation "  was  suggested,  when  she  beamed  and  the 
name  was  adopted.  Then  Mattie  winked  at  the  other 
officers,  stood  up  and  said :  "  Katie  Finnegan  bosses 
dis  affair.  She's  de  whole  t'ing ;  w'at  she  says  goes. 
She's  goin'  to  make  a  set  o'  rules;  we're  goin'  to 
pay  de  fees,  give  chowder  parties,  have  a  good  time, 
an'  1'oin.  Maybe  we'll  call  at  de  Sorceress  Club  to 


The  Finnegan  Association  63 

see  how  dey  do  t'ings  and  we'll  decide  next  week 
wedder  we'll  pray  or  not.  I  t'ink  de  Jews  might 
pray  one  week,  de  Catlics  de  next,  and  de  Mefodists 
de  next." 

"  We'll  adjoin  on  dat ;  put  out  de  lights,"  com- 
manded the  august  voice  of  President  Finnegan. 


CHAPTER   IX, 

LIZZIE     KELLY     REFUSES     TO     BE     BRIBED     AND     THE 
CLUB    RECEIVES    VISITORS 

IT  was  Friday  evening  when  the  Finnegan  Asso- 
ciation assembled  again,  and  the  members  wore  an 
anxious  look  on  their  faces,  which  clearly  showed 
that  they  were  already  feeling  the  great  responsi- 
bility of  their  positions. 

Sadie  Cohen  was  thoughtfully  stroking  her  nose, 
and  probably  wondering  what  caused  it  to  grow  in 
a  different  direction  from  that  of  her  neighbors. 
Mattie  Foy  entered  rather  late,  and  smiled  sweetly 
at  the  president  who  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table 
looking  grave,  and  a  few  other  members  hemmed 
and  hawed  and  looked  wise. 

"  Loidies  of  de  Finnegan  Association,"  com- 
menced the  president,  "  I  commences  by  com- 
mencin'  the  meetinV 

"  I  second  de  motion,"  commented  Mollie  Angel- 
ico. 

"  Well,  yer  don't  need  to,  an'  yer  out  er  order,  so 
dere,"  answered  the  president. 

64 


Lizzie  Kelly  Refuses  to  be  Bribed      65 

"  Oh,  well,  dat's  better  dan  to  be  out  er  sense," 
retorted  Mollie. 

"  Come  off !  come  off ! "  yelled  treasurer  Mattie 
Foy  in  stentorian  tones. 

"  I'm  on  to  your  game,  Treasurer  Foy !  "  replied 
Mollie,  with  a  shrewd  wink  that  spoke  whole  libra- 
ries, and  Mattie  jumped  to  her  feet. 

"  Here,  loidies,"  interrupted  President  Finnegan, 
"  dis  won't  do.  Private  feelin's  must  be  kept  out  o' 
public  places.  I  was  goin'  to  say  dat  we  commenced 
dis  meetin'  by  payin'  our  dues.  We'll  pay  five  cents 
a  month.  Come,  chip  in !  " 

The  basket  was  passed  around  and  upon  examina- 
tion was  found  to  contain  sixty  cents,  whereupon 
the  president  remarked  that  that  would  not  do,  as 
there  were  twenty  members  present. 

"  Dat's  all  right,"  declared  a  bright- faced  girl  in 
the  back  of  the  room,  "  but  I  ain't  agoin'  to  pay  my 
dues  'till  the  treasurer  is  put  under  bonds." 

"  Oh,  she'll  go  to  Canada  wid  yer  nickel.  Tie 
her  to  de  leg  o'  de  bed — de  clothes  line  will  make 
good  bonds." 

"  Yer  a  bird." 

These  and  similar  expressions  characteristic  of  the 

neighborhood  greeted  the  member's  statement,  but 

she  looked  around  scornfully  at  them  all,  and  said 

with  a  sneering  curl  of  her  upper  lip :  "  I  don't  know 

5 


66  Souls  in  Pawn 

everyt'ing  under  the  sun,  I'm  only  Lizzie  Kelly, 
member,  while  some  o'  yez  are  treasurers,  an' 
sec'tarys,  an'  grand  Lord  Elephants;  but  I  know 
what's  right,  an'  I  does  what's  right.  I'll  pony  up, 
but  I'll  have  no  funny  business ;  fun  is  fun." 

"  Huh,"  thought  President  Finnegan,  "  here's  an- 
other one.  I'll  fix  her,  too."  Aloud  she  said,  "  De 
member  will  please  step  wid  me  in  de  next  room." 

"  Not  me,"  said  Lizzie.  "  Yez  can't  bribe  me  by 
makin'  me  general  coat-tail  puller  or  some  such  t'ing. 
What  ye've  got  to  say,  say  it  here." 

"  Good  for  you,  Lizzie."  "  Bully  for  you,  Lizzie," 
were  a  few  of  the  exclamations  following  this  re- 
mark, going  to  prove  that  public  opinion  changes  as 
quickly  in  Chinatown  as  anywhere  else. 

"  I  was  only  goin'  to  say,"  said  the  shrewd  presi- 
dent, "  dat  ye  can  resign  if  ye  don't  like  dis  club's 
way  of  doin'  t'ings." 

"  Oh,  I  can  do  dat,"  said  Lizzie ;  "  but  before  I  go 
I'll  say  dat  yer  a  fine  president — in  yer  mind — dat 
de  members  are  as  blind  as  door  knobs  not  to  be  able 
to  see  yer  little  game,  and  dat  ye'd  better  hurry  up 
yer  meeting,  because  I'm  goin'  to  tell  Mister  Domin- 
ico  dat  Lizzie  has  let  his  house  to  dis  crazy  gang." 

"  I'll  call  on  ye  to-morrer,  Lizzie,"  said  the  presi- 
dent. 

"  If  ye  do,  I'll  set  me  9og  at  yez,"  answered  Lizzie. 


Lizzie  Kelly  Refuses  to  be   Bribed      67 

"  Ye'll  play  no  ward  politics  around  me.  I'm  hon- 
est, I  am." 

"  And  that  is  right,"  said  a  voice  behind  Lizzie, 
and  the  club  members  were  startled  to  see  a  pale- 
faced,  brown-eyed  young  woman,  dressed  in  black, 
standing  in  the  doorway  beside  a  tall,  dark-haired 
young  man,  armed  with  a  banjo. 

"  She's  Miss  Irving  from  de  mission  round  de 
corner,"  said  one  of  the  members  audibly,  and  the 
president  got  down  from  her  chair  and  welcomed 
her,  hoping  that  this  interruption  would  stay  Lizzie's 
wrath  and  her  consequent  visit  to  Senor  Dominico. 

"  Girls,"  said  Katherine,  "  I  heard  Lizzie  say  that 
she  was  honest.  Who  can  tell  me  what  honesty 
really  is  ?  " 

"  It's  a  ting  ye  read  about,  but  seldom  see,"  said 
the  president. 

"  Ye  hear  a  lot  about  it  at  'lection  time,"  said  the 
secretary. 

"  Tis  scarcer  than  diamonds,"  added  a  frivolous 
member. 

"  Yez  only  find  it  in  de  dictionary,"  cried  another. 

"  Girls,  honesty  is  one  of  the  noblest  gifts  of  God," 
said  Katherine.  "  It  is  always  where  He  is,  and 
there  are  more  kinds  than  one.  An  honest  life  does 
not  simply  mean  that  you  are  not  to  steal,  but  it 
means  that  you  are  to  be  true  in  purpose,  in  life, 


68  Souls  in  Pawn 

and  in  every  action — clear  and  above  board,  un- 
selfish and  mindful  of  one  another." 

"  Say,  dat's  all  nice  talk,  Miss,"  said  President 
Finnegan,  "  but  tink  o'  livin'  dat !  " 

"  Yes,  I  love  to  think  of  living  that,  Katie,"  said 
Katherine,  who  knew  all  of  the  girls.  "  As  presi- 
dent, you  ought  to  wish  your  club  to  be  so ;  as  your 
friend,  I  want  it  to  be  so ;  and  the  Lord  can  make 
it  so.  May  I  pray  about  it  ?  " 

"  Cert,"  said  the  president,  and  after  some  de- 
liberation and  a  good  deal  of  persuasion,  the  mem- 
bers got  on  their  knees. 

Katherine  prayed  and  prayed  until  the  bad  feel- 
ing melted  into  thin  air,  and  when  the  girls  arose 
sheepishly,  brushing  the  dust  from  their  knees, 
Lizzie  Kelly  shook  hands  with  the  president,  and 
the  president,  smiling  softly,  said,  "  Ladies,  I  wasn't 
rightly  'lected.  Do  yez  want  me  as  yer  president  ? 
Aye  means  yes,  and  no  means  not  a  bit  of  ye. 
Vote,  please." 

"Aye,"  "Yes,"  "No,"  "I  guess  not,"  "Yer  all 
right,"  came  in  quick  succession,  and  Katherine 
saw  that  the  members  were  voting  "  aye  "  and  "  no  " 
together ;  so  she  requested  a  showing  of  hands,  with 
the  result  that  Katie  was  unanimously  elected,  and 
just  as  quickly  her  three  fellow-officers  were  voted 
out  of  office,  as  Katie  confessed  there  had  been 
political  double-dealing. 


Lizzie  Kelly  Refuses  to  be  Bribed      69 

"  Say,  I  guess  she's  converted,"  whispered  Aggie 
Murphy  to  Carrie  Schmeerkase.  "  De  squint  in  her 
left  eye  don't  look  half  so  bad." 

"  Let's  adjoin  till  next  week.  I'm  all  broke  up," 
said  the  president  in  a  shaky  voice,  and,  as  the 
members  gravely  rose  from  their  seats,  Aggie  again 
whispered,  "  She'll  be  givin'  her  testament  next 
week  at  de  mission." 

"  Ye  mean  her  testimony,"  said  Carrie.  "  I  hope 
not.  I  was  mixed  up  in  lots  o'  her  little  games. 
Let's  pray  dat  she  gets  sense." 

"  Let  de  feller  wid  de  banjo  give  us  a  tune.  Say, 
mister,  play  '  Down  went  McGinty/ "  pleaded  a 
member  who  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  suggestion 
to  "  adjoin,"  and  John  sat  on  a  chair,  threw  back 
his  head  and  "  did  Dan  into  music,"  as  he  himself 
phrased  it,  to  the  intense  delight  of  his  audience. 
He  responded  to  the  encore  by  playing  "  Sweet 
Rosie  O'Grady  "  and  "  Down  the  Mobile,"  and,  as 
he  was  swinging  his  head  and  puffing  out  his  lips 
and  grinning  broadly  to  illustrate  the  Mobile  negro, 
the  door  opened  and  in  came  Richard  Masterson. 
Katherine  motioned  him  to  her  side,  shook  hands 
with  him,  and  whispered  some  particulars  about  the 
club  without  questioning  him  about  his  presence  in 
the  neighborhood. 

Just  then  John  ceased  playing,  and  after  the 


jo  Souls  in  Pawn 

hearty  laughter  and  applause  had  subsided,  Presi- 
dent Finnegan  suggested  that  "  de  new  gent  sing 
somethin'."  Katherine  and  John  added  their  re- 
quests to  this,  and  Richard  flushed  slightly,  but 
stepped  forward,  and  in  a  clear  tenor  voice,  quiver- 
ing with  a  real  emotion  that  touched  every  one  of 
his  listeners,  sang,  "  The  Bird  with  the  Broken 
Wing."  His  voice  faltered  visibly  when  he  gave 
expression  to  the  words,  "  But  the  bird  with  the 
broken  pinion  never  soared  as  high  again,"  and, 
somehow,  the  little  girls,  into  whose  lives  no  emo- 
tion ever  entered  that  was  not  connected  with 
funerals  or  lack  of  food,  felt  the  tears  gathering  in 
their  eyes,  and  from  that  moment  there  was  a  silent 
understanding  between  them  that  they  "  liked  the 
gent  in  gray." 

"  I  had  to  see  you  to-night,"  he  said,  seating  him- 
self beside  Katherine,  when  John  commenced  to 
propound  some  of  his  humorous  riddles  to  the  club. 
"  I  was  at  the  parsonage,  and  they  directed  me  here  : 
so  I  came,  for  I  knew  that  I  must  see  you." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Katherine,  and  her  heart  beat 
with  the  glad  thought  of  his  possible  conversion. 

"  Because,  I— I '' 

He  hesitated,  drooped  his  head,  and  then  whis- 
pered, "  I  am  better  when  I  am  near  you." 

"  How  is  the  little  boy  ?  "  she  asked,  looking  curi- 


Lizzie  Kelly  Refuses  to  be  Bribed      71 

ously  into  his  face,  as  if  to  read  there  what  she  could 
not  understand  in  his  reply. 

"  He  is  well — quite  well,  almost ;  it  is  a  miracle. 
Oh,  Miss  Irving,  I  wish  I  was  good.  I  would  give 
anything  under  the  sun  to  be  as  good  as  you  are." 
And  he  meant  it  just  then. 

Richard  was  not  a  thoroughly  bad  man  any  more 
than  any  other  man  is.  He  was  morally  weak,  self- 
indulgent,  and  headstrong.  He  had  always  been 
used  to  having  his  own  way,  and  he  saw  no  sensible 
reason  for  exercising  self-control  or  depriving  him- 
self of  anything  he  could  obtain;  but  there  were 
times,  such  as  the  present,  when  a  hatred  of  deceit 
and  wrong  and  sin  in  general  shook  his  inner  being 
with  a  holy  longing  that  was  pathetic — and  brief. 
He  really  meant  what  he  said.  He  reasoned,  too, 
that  Katherine  would  be  pleased  with  the  thought 
of  being  the  means  of  his  conversion,  and,  "  really," 
he  thought,  "  there  is  no  harm  in  my  loving  her. 
I  mean  no  wrong.  I  will  seek  an  ideal  love  in  her 
free  from  everything  debasing,  and  why  should  my 
wife  deprive  me  of  the  affection  of  a  good  woman. 
I  will  tell  her  some  day  of  Jennie,  but  just  yet — 
well,  really,  I  mean  no  harm." 

"  I  came  to  tell  you,"  he  said,  "  that  I  decided  to 
live  for  God  an  hour  ago — you  showed  me  the  way 
so  clearly  that  I  could  not  fail  to  find  it.  I  am  con- 
verted, Miss  Irving,  and  am  very  happy." 


72  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  I  do  thank  God,"  said  Katherine,  and,  when 
the  tears  dimmed  her  soft  eyes,  Richard  repeated, 
"  I  am  happy ;  oh,  so  happy,  and  I  feel  so,  so — 
good."  And  Richard  really  did  have  a  little  holi- 
ness of  his  own  manufacture.  Instead  of  the  sense 
of  sin  the  true  convert  feels,  he  felt  that  goodness 
belonged  to  him  from  his  birth  upwards,  only  his 
life  was  full  of  mistakes — that  was  all. 

Katherine  whispered  the  story  to  John  while  the 
club  was  singing  a  selection  of  Miss  Finnegan's,  and 
Richard  wished  that  he  might  be  baptized  and  wear 
a  white  robe,  and  look  classic  and  saintly,  in  Kath- 
erine's  eyes  at  least. 

"  I  am  glad,  and  give  you  a  hearty  welcome  into 
the  kingdom,  Mr.  Masterson,"  said  John,  shaking 
his  hand.  "  I  will  be  glad  to  be  a  friend  to  you." 

"  I  need  none,  but  thank  you  all  the  same,"  said 
Richard,  a  trifle  testily.  He  had  seen  John  before 
with  Katherine,  and  took  the  liberty  of  telling  him- 
self that  he  did  not  like  it  very  much. 

Richard  lingered  over  his  parting  hand-shake 
with  Katherine,  and  as  he  went  homeward  said  to 
himself,  "  I  will  not  go  near  the  saloon  to-night. 
I  may  sell  the  place  or  give  it  up,  but  I  must  do 
nothing  hastily.  I  do  not  want  to  be  dependent 
upon  anybody,  and — well,  there  are  worse  things 
than  saloon-keeping.  I  don't  care  to  drink  to- 


Lizzie  Kelly  Refuses  to  be  Bribed      73 

night,  but  I  feel  the  need  of  something.  Oh,  a  lit- 
tle drop  will  not  harm  me.  I  believe  I  am  better 
after  all."  And  the  convert  drained  a  full  glass  of 
brandy,  but  utterly  refused  to  let  himself  have  an- 
other. Then  he  went  to  bed  and  dreamt  of  Kath- 
erine,  and  declared,  as  he  kissed  her  forehead  in  his 
dreams,  that  he  "  really  meant  no  harm." 

As  he  was  making  his  way  to  his  home  Katherine 
was  telling  John,  for  at  least  the  twentieth  time  in 
her  life,  that  he  must  not  say  certain  things  to  her, 
because  she  was  wedded  to  her  work  among  the 
poor ;  and  yet,  when  he  went  away  with  a  downcast 
look  on  his  usually  bright  face,  she  said,  "Poor, 
poor  John ! "  Perhaps,  after  all,  there  was  more 
than  one  kind  of  "  poor  "  to  be  wedded  to.  Women 
have  queer  meanings  for  a  great  many  words. 


CHAPTER  X 

HOW    A    MOUSE    SQUELCHED    A    DOMESTIC    TYRANT 

MRS.  GLEASON  peeped  out  cautiously  when  the 
bell  rang  about  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning.  She 
wanted  to  be  sure  that  John  would  not  slip  by  her, 
for  she  had  vowed  over  and  over  that  unless  he  came 
in  and  "  begged  her  parding  like  a  dacent  man,  not 
a  fut  would  he  get  inside  the  threshold."  She  was 
relieved  when  the  tall,  graceful  figure  of  Richard 
loomed  up  before  her  vision,  and  when  he  removed 
his  hat  and  asked  if  he  might  trouble  her  to  take 
his  card  to  Miss  Irving,  she  mentally  remarked  that 
"  that  was  the  way  gentlemen  did." 

Richard  was  a  little  embarrassed  when  he  found 
that  in  his  hurry  he  had  brought  a  business  card, 
telling  of  the  whereabouts  of  a  certain  liquor  saloon 
he  did  not  care  to  be  reminded  of  just  then,  instead 
of  the  card  he  had  intended  bringing;  but,  with  a 
reassuring  smile  and  a  soft  remark  about  the  care- 
lessness of  a  man  who  is  not  blessed  with  women 
folk,  he  set  Mrs.  Gleason's  mind  at  ease,  and  she 

74 


How  a  Mouse  Squelched  a  Tyrant     75 

assured  him  that "  a  gintleman's  name  is  betther  any 
day  than  his  card." 

Katherine  was  a  little  nervous  and  troubled  when 
she  came  downstairs.  There  was  no  reason  why 
she  should  be,  and  the  only  excuse  she  could  find 
for  such  a  state  of  mind  was  that  for  some  reason 
she  did  not  sleep  well  the  previous  night.  John's 
awful  music  would  keep  ringing  in  her  ears,  in  spite 
of  all  her  efforts  to  drown  it.  Of  course,  she  would 
not  admit  that  John's  voice  or  his  words  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  it. 

"  I  feared  you  might  not  be  at  home,  Miss  Irving," 
said  Richard.  "  It  is  rather  early  to  call,  but  I  felt 
as  if  I  needed  strength  and  encouragement." 

"  I  am  glad  you  came,  brother,"  she  said,  heartily. 
"  After  a  while  you  will  learn  to  go  to  the  dear  Lord 
for  both.  He  is  a  very  present  help  in  trouble." 

They  were  both  silent.  Richard  wished  that 
some  bright  thought  would  come  to  him,  and  won- 
dered why  every  spark  of  intelligence  seemed  to 
have  left  him  and  why  he  almost  dreaded  to  look 
up.  When  he  did  look  up  he  saw  that  Katherine 
was  calmly  looking  down  at  him  with  a  glad  smile 
that  made  him  turn  away  like  a  guilty  man  whose 
heart  had  been  laid  bare.  Perhaps  she  saw  he  was 
embarrassed,  for  she  said  presently,  "  I  will  play 
something,"  and,  being  unable  to  think  of  anything 


76  Souls  in  Pawn 

else  just  then,  she  placed  her  fingers  on  the  keys 
with  a  silvery  touch  that  woke  the  music  of  the 
"  Maiden's  Prayer,"  and  made  Richard's  heart  beat 
with  a  strange,  exultant  feeling.  Somehow  or 
other,  he  felt  that  she  was  playing  for  him,  not  to 
him.  But  this  was  not  the  only  time  Richard  made 
a  mistake  in  his  calculations  and  suffered  for  it  in 
the  reckoning.  Conceited  people  need  this  sort  of 
treatment,  however. 

"  I  wonder  what  her  prayer  was  ? "  he  asked, 
softly,  when  the  last  note  had  fallen  on  the  stillness 
of  the  room. 

"  I  have  often  wondered,"  Katherine  answered. 
"Whatever  it  was,  it  carried  with  it  triumphant 
faith — the  last  part  is  so  full  of  praise.  To  me  it 
sounds  like  a  peal  of  thanksgiving." 

"  If  I  were  a  composer  I  could  create  even  a 
greater  prayer  than  that.  If  I  could  put  my  soul 
on  paper  now,  it  would  sing  a  grander  message," 
said  Richard,  looking  down  at  her. 

"  God  understands  your  soul,  my  brother." 

"  But  you — do  you  ?  " 

"  I — I  do  not  know,"  she  answered,  looking  at 
him  in  a  puzzled  sort  of  way ;  "  but  the  Word  says 
that  if  we  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in  the  light,  we 
have  fellowship  one  with  another." 

"  Fellowship  with  you !  "  he  said  in  a  low  voice, 


How  a  Mouse  Squelched  a  Tyrant     77 

and,  seeing  her  look  at  him  strangely,  he  added, 
"  fellowship  with  God's  people  is  a  new  experience 
for  me." 

"  And  a  blessed  one,  I  hope  ?  "  said  Katherine, 
her  face  brightening. 

"  You  need  scarcely  ask  that,"  he  answered,  and 
then  his  knowledge  of  the  world  came  to  his  aid,  and 
he  whispered  to  himself :  "  Be  careful,  Richard ;  if 
you  frighten  her  now,  you  may  lose  her  forever. 
Be  pious  and  interesting;  time  will  do  the  rest." 
Then  he  looked  at  Katherine  and  said :  "  I  am  afraid 
I  will  bore  you  terribly,  but  you  are  the  only  Chris- 
tian woman  I  know,  and  it  seems  so  good  to  have 
you  talk  to  me.  It  helps  me." 

"  And  my  father  and  I  will  always  have  a  warm 
welcome  for  you,"  said  Katherine,  with  a  rare  smile 
on  her  face  that  Richard  longed  to  catch  and  im- 
prison. He  was  glad  to  listen  to  her  voice,  so  he 
let  her  talk  while  he  looked  at  her  and  dreamed  and 
longed  for  things  his  own  reason  told  him  were 
impossible.  Something  in  his  soul  called  him  a 
rascal,  and  he  did  not  contradict  the  little  voice,  but 
how  could  he  help  loving  her,  he  asked  himself, 
when  she  was  sitting  so  near  to  him  and  looking  so 
beautiful  ? 

"  Is  the  way  of  Life  clear  to  you  now,  Mr.  Mas- 
terson  ?  "  she  asked,  earnestly,  after  she  had,  as  she 


78  Souls  in  Pawn 

thought,  clinched  her  facts,  which  were  all  in  de- 
fence of  the  Bible  as  the  inspired  word  of  God. 

"Life?"  he  repeated  vaguely,  for  he  had  not 
heard  one  word  of  her  argument.  "  Surely,  God 
understands  my  difficulties." 

A  clatter  in  the  hall,  the  sound  of  a  struggle,  a 
wild  scream,  and,  a  moment  later,  a  dishevelled- 
looking  young  man  burst  into  the  room,  bowing 
toward  the  hall  and  saying,  "  Yours  truly,  wide 
awake." 

"  John,  you  horrible  fellow,"  cried  Katherine,  but 
she  felt  sure  she  had  never  been  so  glad  to  see  him 
before.  For  some  reason  or  another  she  is  always 
saying  this  same  thing  about  John  now. 

Richard  frowned,  and  a  heaviness  fell  on  his  heart, 
while  an  ugly  little  demon  known  as  the  green  mon- 
ster told  him  that  only  for  John  he  would  be  be- 
loved. But,  since  monsters  of  any  particular  shade 
of  color  are  not  addicted  to  truth-telling,  it  was  not 
surprising  that  this  one  said  things  without  much 
regard  to  facts. 

"  Katherine  protect  me,  and  I  will  buy  you  the 
handsomest  engagement  ring  in  town,"  John  cries. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  John  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that  Hebe  of  yours  attempted  to  keep  me 
out.  I  knew  she  would,  so  I  came  armed  with  a 
mouse,  and  when  she  was  about  to  shut  the  door  I 
put  the  little  fellow  on  her  shoulder,  and  she  fled." 


How  a  Mouse  Squelched  a  Tyrant     79 

This  was  too  much  even  for  Richard's  gloom,  and 
he  joined  Katherine  in  the  laugh  that  did  not  make 
Mrs.  Gleason  any  sweeter.  Down  in  the  kitchen 
she  was  nursing  her  wrath,  and  wondering  nervous- 
ly if  the  mouse  really  ran  down  the  hall  or  down 
her  back,  and,  when  she  suddenly  decided  for  the 
latter,  she  announced  her  decision  with  a  scream 
that  was  piercing  in  its  intensity. 

The  three  in  the  little  parlor  fled  to  the  lower 
regions,  and  found  the  cook  jumping  around  as  if 
she  were  on  a  hot  griddle. 

"  Down  my  back,"  she  roared,  and  Richard's 
sympathy  overcame  his  good  sense,  and  he  poked 
a  stick  down  the  back  of  her  neck. 

"  Oh,  he'll  never  come  up  now,"  screamed  the 
cook,  and  John  ran  for  a  pail  of  water,  saying  he 
would  drown  him. 

"  Get  him  up  first,"  she  roared. 

"  No,  I'll  drown  him  where  he  is,"  he  cried,  and 
when  the  uproar  was  at  its  height,  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Irving  appeared  in  the  doorway. 

"  It's  me  spine,  I  feel  it,  I  feel  it,  the  stick  made 
him  move,"  cried  Mrs.  Gleason  all  in  one  breath. 

"  Katherine,  is  she  mad  ?  "  asked  the  minister. 

"  Oh,  for  the  love  o'  heaven,  get  him  up,  Miss 
Irving,"  cried  the  cook,  and  Katherine,  with  a  look 
on  her  face  that  was  desperate  and  determined,  put 


80  Souls  in  Pawn 

her  hand  down  the  cook's  back.  The  two  men 
stood  with  expectant  faces,  and  the  minister  looked 
as  puzzled  as  if  he  had  suddenly  come  face  to  face 
with  the  sphinx.  Katherine  dimly  realized  that 
never  again  could  she  be  a  girl  or  a  woman.  Had 
she  smoked  a  cigarette,  or  put  on  a  "  dress  reform 
suit  "  or  made  a  speech  at  a  woman's  suffrage  con- 
vention, she  might  return  to  the  fold,  but  never 
after  having  deliberately  sought  to  catch  a  mouse. 

"  Right  there,"  yelled  the  cook. 

Katherine  set  her  teeth  hard,  and  drew  forth  into 
the  garish  light  of  day — one  of  the  little  false  curls 
that  adorned  Mrs.  Gleason's  neck  on  state  occasions. 

"  Ow !    ow !    ow !  "  roared  Mrs.  Gleason. 

"  Bow-ow !  Was  it  with  his  mouth  he  bit  you  ?  " 
cried  John,  and  he  fled,  followed  by  Richard  and 
the  clergyman.  Katherine  followed  a  few  moments 
later,  and  fell  into  a  chair,  where  she  shook  with 
the  suppressed  laughter  that  was  threatening  to 
consume  her. 

"  Brave  old  Katherine,"  said  John,  going  over 
and  kneeling  before  her.  "  My  hand  and  my  heart 
are  yours.  Why,  the  '  pied  piper  of  Hamlin  '  could 
not  hold  a  rushlight  to  you." 

"  You  wicked  boy,"  cried  Katherine,  boxing 
John's  ears  soundly,  and  Richard  felt  as  if  he  would 
give  a  good  deal  to  have  her  do  the  same  to  him. 


How  a  Mouse  Squelched  a  Tyrant     81 

Then  he  groaned  in  spirit,  and  again  the  little  de- 
mon whispered  in  his  ear. 

When  Richard  explained  to  the  minister  the  cause 
of  the  comedy  drama  enacted  down-stairs,  John 
looked  serious,  and  the  tenderness  and  justness  that 
were  such  a  large  part  of  his  character  overcame 
his  love  of  the  ludicrous. 

"  I  will  go  down  and  apologize  to  Mrs.  Gleason," 
he  said.  "  I  am  afraid  that  I  have  offended  her, 
more  especially  as  I  was  the  cause  of  revealing  the 
fact  that  her  hair  did  not  all  grow  on  her  head." 

"  Yes,  John,  I  think  you  ought,"  said  the  min- 
ister. "  Fun  ought  never  to  overstep  itself  by 
making  another  unhappy.  I  do  not  mind  your 
having  taught  Mrs.  Gleason  a  lesson,  for  she  is  a 
veritable  autocrat  and  needs  chastening;  but  I  fear 
her  lesson  has  been  too  severe  this  time." 

When  John  went  to  the  kitchen  he  found  its  mis- 
tress in  tears.  There  was  real  sorrow  in  his  voice 
though  his  eye  twinkled,  and  when  he  said  he  deeply 
regretted  what  had  occurred  she  believed  him. 

"  Did  you  see  what  was  down  my  back  ?  "  she 
asked,  looking  him  full  in  the  face. 

"  How  could  I  see  ?  "  he  answered,  evasively. 

"  Oh,  I  mane  what  Miss  Katherine  brought  up." 

"  Yes,"  said  John,  though  he  wished  he  could 
truthfully  say  otherwise. 
6 


82  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  what  a  shame !  "  cried  the  poor  cook. 

"  It  is  all  right,  Mrs.  Gleason,"  said  John  kindly. 
"  Let  us  both  learn  a  lesson  from  it.  The  false 
cannot  pass  for  the  true,  and  we  should  never  wear 
anything  on  our  heads  or  in  our  hearts  that  God 
and  the  world  should  not  see.  But,  then,  false  hair 
is  better  than  a  bald  head.  You  look  well  with 
curls,  too." 

"  Let  us  be  friends,"  she  said,  impulsively. 

And  so  an  armistice  was  declared. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

RICHARD    PROVOKES    A    DISCUSSION 

AT  luncheon  Mrs.  Gleason  did  not  appear,  and 
John  bravely  resisted  giving  vent  to  his  description 
of  the  images  that  were  filling  his  mind.  His  friend 
constantly  told  him  that  he  ought  to  be  a  writer  of 
comedies  and  a  maker  of  funny  cartoons,  because 
he  always  saw  the  comic  side  of  everything.  And 
it  was  so.  His  heart  was  big,  but  his  brain  was  a 
busy  workman,  and  even  when  the  sympathies  of 
the  one  were  aroused,  the  pictures  of  the  other  filled 
the  larger  part  of  the  scene. 

He  was  seated  near  Katherine,  or  near  Kather- 
ine's  chair,  for  she  was  busily  engaged  in  pouring 
out  tea  and  taking  the  remainder  of  the  luncheon 
from  Mrs.  Gleason  and  deftly  conveying  it  to  the 
sideboard.  Richard  looked  at  her,  and  then  at 
John. 

"  They  are  well  suited  to  each  other,"  he  com- 
mented mentally.  He  looked  again,  and  this  was 
what  he  saw:  A  woman,  small  even  for  a  woman, 
for  she  was  scarcely  five  feet  four,  but  lithe,  grace- 

83 


84  Souls  in  Pawn 

ful,  and  strong  looking.  A  woman  with  large 
brown  eyes,  half  grave  and  half  roguish — eyes  that 
were  mischievous  as  well  as  thoughtful ;  a  full,  rather 
large  mouth;  a  straight,  well-formed  nose,  and  a 
strong  chin  with  just  a  touch  of  weakness  that  the 
curbing  of  a  clear  but  restless  soul  would  yet  take 
away.  Her  hair  was  parted  in  the  centre,  and  waved 
softly  over  the  broad  forehead — the  forehead  that 
resembled  her  father's  so  much. 

The  man  was  tall,  big,  and  boyish-looking.  His 
eyes  were  grey,  his  nose  a  short  snub,  his  face  ruddy 
and  fresh,  telling  of  a  clean,  good  life,  stronger  than 
any  spoken  testimony  could.  Neither  weakness 
nor  strength  were  revealed  here,  clearly;  for  no 
yielding  to  the  lower  self  had  ever  taken  place,  and 
John  brushed  away  the  result  of  his  moral  victories 
with  his  smiles ;  so  that,  instead  of  the  strong,  firmly 
set  jaw  of  the  man  who  has  done  and  won,  there 
was  only  a  chin  set  with  boyish  dimples. 

"  If  she  marries  him,"  mused  Richard,  "  she  will 
know  as  much  as  he  does,  and  they  will  learn  the 
ways  of  life  together.  Her  love  will  never  mean 
more  than  being  fond  of  him  though.  If  she  mar- 
ries me  I  will  be  a  constant  mystery  to  her,  for  I 
have  lived  in  a  world  where  she  has  never  been  and 
never  can  go,  but  she  will  worship  me  for  it."  All 
of  which  went  to  show  that  Richard  knew  a  good 


Richard  Provokes  a  Discussion        85 

deal  about  one  side  of  one  kind  of  woman's  nature, 
but  had  much  to  learn. 

I  wonder  why  it  is  that  some  men  pride  them- 
selves in  having  been  vile,  and  call  it  "  worldly  ex- 
perience," or  "  wild  oats  " ;  and  I  wonder,  too,  why 
they  think  they  can  understand  the  highest  in 
woman  because  they  have  discovered  the  worst 
spots  in  human  nature,  and  have  sold  themselves 
for  the  rare  discovery  ? 

While  Richard  was  doing  all  this  thinking,  Dr. 
Irving' s  eyes  and  mind  were  not  idle,  and,  when 
both  men  were  drawing  deductions  from  their  sep- 
arate lines  of  reasoning,  their  eyes  met.  Richard 
looked  uneasy,  and  a  half-formed  wish  that  Kath- 
erine  had  no  father  sprang  up  in  his  heart.  And 
yet  he  liked  the  clergyman — most  people  did — but 
some  keen  foresight  told  him  that  trouble  was 
ahead,  and  that  the  big  hand  and  head  and  the  deep 
eyes  of  the  man  across  the  table  would  be  apt  to 
have  something  to  do  with  it. 

"  Do  you  ever  hope  to  do  any  good  in  China- 
town, Doctor  Irving?"  asked  Richard,  more  be- 
cause he  wanted  to  say  something  than  for  any 
other  desire  for  information. 

"  Yes,  I  certainly  do  if  I  follow  God's  leading. 
Don't  you?" 

"  Well,  I  know  so  little  about  God,  you  know,  and 
they  are  such  awful  people  down  there." 


86  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  no  worse  than  we  are  up-town.  They  love 
goodness  and  virtue  as  well  as  we  do,  but  the  smell 
of  beer  and  whiskey  and  opium  and  dirt  greet  them 
day  after  day,  and  they  accept  it  all  as  their  own, 
and  grow  to  be  a  part  of  it.  They  lack  properly 
cooked  food,  and  when  their  stomachs  call  for  a 
stimulant  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  obey  the  call." 

"  I  know  a  man  down  there  who  says  that  since 
his  daughter  learned  to  cook  he  no  longer  gets  the 
eleven  o'clock  thirst,"  said  Katherine.  "  If  cook- 
ing and  cleanliness  were  taught  and  emphasized  in 
the  public  schools,  and  model  tenements  replaced 
the  present  wretched  holes,  and,  above  all,  the  sa- 
loon was  shut  up,  no  line  of  virtue  could  be  drawn 
at  Chatham  any  more  than  at  Madison  Square." 

"You  are  a  prohibitionist  then,  Miss  Irving?" 
questioned  Richard,  smiling. 

"  When  you  have  stood  by  as  many  dying  beds  as 
I  have ;  when  you  have  prayed  and  struggled  until 
your  physical  as  well  as  your  spiritual  nature  has 
been  robbed  of  its  strength  to  save  some  weak 
brother  or  sister ;  and  then,  when  you  have  seen  the 
light  of  heaven  come  into  their  faces,  a  light  that 
had  to  flee  because  alcohol  burned  around  them, 
you  too  will  be  one,"  said  Katherine. 

"  But  could  not  the  power  of  God  save  them  from 
it?"  said  Richard. 


Richard  Provokes  a  Discussion        87 

"  The  power  of  God  compels  no  one  to  live  right, 
nor  does  it  ever  work  independent  of  men.  God 
gives  you  a  light  to-day,  my  brother,  and  you  are 
to  follow  it.  He  will  be  within  you,  encouraging, 
cheering,  and  warming  your  soul  with  His  love  and 
strength,  but  never  forget  that  He  has  honored  you 
with  a  will,  a  soul,  and  reasoning  powers,  and  those 
must  be  exercised ;  otherwise,  you  are  a  mere  autom- 
aton as  incapable  of  virtue  as  of  vice.  You  must 
will  to  let  God  do  His  will  in  you,  for  God's  power 
is  life,  not  magic.  Your  will-power  will  not  keep 
you,  but  it  must  make  away  for  the  Spirit  of  the 
Keeper.  God's  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weak- 
ness, but  the  weakness  must  be  ready  to  admit  it 
is  there.  Pride  and  stubbornness  and  ignorance 
are  so  strong  in  man  that  it  takes  him  some  time 
to  discover  that  without  God  he  can  do  nothing,  so 
he  needs  teaching  and  sheltering  while  the  lesson 
is  being  taught.  I  am  glad  that  God  cares  so  much 
for  character  that  he  would  rather  we  would  fall  and 
struggle  back  to  him,  than  to  keep  us  pure  in  the 
sense  that  the  clothing-house  dummy  is  kept  clean 
— namely,  by  having  his  lifeless  face  washed  with 
soap  and  water,  and  new  clothes  put  on  his  unre- 
sisting body  every  morning." 
"  How  do  you  know  so — so — much  of  God  ?  " 
"  From  His  Word,  and  from  my  own  experi- 
ence." 


88  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  How  do  you  know  that  there  is  a  God  ?  " 

Dr.  Irving  looked  strangely  at  him,  and,  before 
Katherine  could  reply,  said: 

"  Do  you  find  it  necessary  to  ask  that  question 
to-day,  Mr.  Masterson  ?  " 

"  Reason  and  faith  should  go  together,  should 
they  not  ?  "  said  Richard,  a  little  confused. 

"  They  certainly  should  not  be  opposed ;  answer 
him,  Katherine." 

"  I  know  the  Scriptures  are  of  God,"  said  Kath- 
erine, "because  without  any  attempt  at  straining 
points  the  New  Testament  fills  up  the  plot,  if  I  may 
use  the  term,  of  the  Old  Testament.  I  know  that 
a  very  great  many  of  the  prophecies  have  been  ful- 
filled ;  and  I  know,  too,  that  these  prophecies  were 
not  a  juggling  of  words  or  mere  suggestions,  but 
an  accurate  statement  of  facts.  I  know  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  the  Son  of  God  because  never  man  spake 
like  this  man,  and  because  there  is  no  attempt  at 
painting  an  ideal  man,  though  everyone  admits  the 
evangelists  have  done  so.  I  have  as  much  legal 
proof  of  the  life,  death,  and  resurrection  of  my 
Saviour  as  I  have  that  Washington  was  the  Father 
of  his  country,  but,  better  than  that,  His  words 
have  become  life  to  me.  When  He  said,  '  Ye  must 
be  born  again/  I  sought  the  way,  and  I  found  it 
through  belief  in  Him.  My  life  was  changed,  and 


Richard  Provokes  a  Discussion        89 

it  has  become  literally  true  that  in  my  life  '  old 
things  have  passed  away,  behold  all  things  have  be- 
come new.'  The  Spirit  of  God  brings  a  life  that  is 
its  own  proof." 

John  and  the  minister  were  much  interested,  and 
Richard  evidently  was,  too,  for  he  thought  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then  said  in  a  puzzled  sort  of  a  way : 

"  But  why  should  we  be  saved  through  belief  in 
Christ  rather  than  through  our  good  deeds  ?  " 

"  Because  that  belief  is  the  resurrecting  of  our 
dead  consciences,  the  creating  of  a  new  life  within 
us ;  and  because  no  man  or  woman  without  Christ 
is  truly  good." 

"  What ! "  cried  Richard,  in  eloquent  surprise. 
"  Why,  Miss  Irving,  I  know  a  man  who  is  an  athe- 
ist. He  gives  to  the  poor,  he  wrongs  no  man,  he 
helps  the  down-trodden,  he  is  good — better  than 
most  Christians ; "  this  last  with  decision. 

"  Is  his  soul  white,  or  is  he  self-indulgent  ?  Does 
he  smoke,  drink,  live  well,  or  does  he  deny  him- 
self?" asked  Katherine  quietly. 

"  Do  ministers  do  that  always  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  they  do ;  the  Bible,  and  not  its 
expounders,  should  be  our  guide.  I  simply  wanted 
to  know  how  good  your  saint  really  was.  He  may 
be  generous  by  nature,  and  give  fifteen  dollars  of 
his  weekly  allowance  of  one  hundred  dollars  to 


90  Souls  in  Pawn 

charity,  but  in  what  way  does  it  really  touch  his  life  ? 
You  know  that  when  the  sick  woman  in  the  crowd 
touched  Jesus,  He  felt,  as  our  King  James's  version 
quaintly  puts  it,  '  virtue  going  out  of  Him.'  He 
gave  nothing  that  was  not  full  of  Himself.  That 
is  what  we  must  do.  If  we  give  ourselves,  our 
money  will  be  a  part  of  the  gift,  but  we  may  give 
our  money  and  retain  ourselves.  We  may  try  to 
bribe  God  by  giving  a  few  dollars  to  someone  while 
we  are  destroying  our  own  and  others'  souls.  You 
would  not  want  to  eat  from  a  plate  that  was  pol- 
ished outside  and  filthy  within,  and  no  such  crock- 
ery as  that  will  be  found  on  God's  table." 

"  I  knew  a  man,"  said  the  minister  in  his  deep, 
strong  voice,  "  who  filled  a  high  social,  as  well  as 
a  great  political,  position  in  this  city.  He  was  by 
nature  a  generous,  but  an  exceedingly  carnal  man. 
No  poor  fellow  ever  failed  to  find  sympathy  at  his 
office,  no  matter  how  busy  he  was.  He  gave  his 
money  and  his  love,  and  yet  he  did  not  follow  Christ. 
He  could  talk  about  a  '  first  cause,' '  a  mighty  God,' 
'  salvation  by  one's  own  effort,'  etc.,  and  often  as- 
sured me  proudly  that  he  would  run  his  chances 
with  the  others  when  heaven  was  apportioned.  He 
was  a  church  member,  and  was  very  proud  of  his 
pastor,  who  called  the  Bible  '  lovely  Hebrew 
legends ' ;  Christ,  a  great  moral  teacher,  and  no 


Richard  Provokes  a  Discussion         91 

more;  and  man  (the  pastor  and  his  followers),  the 
noblest  work  of  God's  hands.  One  day  a  man 
sought  him  for  help.  He  had  heard  of  his  good- 
ness, for  the  newspapers  always  noise  such  things 
abroad — especially  if  they  are  of  a  man's  political 
persuasion — and  so  he  was  sure  he  would  help  him. 
He  did,  and  out  of  his  gratitude  he  wrote  him  a  let- 
ter full  of  thanks  and  praise,  and  the  good  man 
turned  it  over  to  a  newspaper  and  made  political 
capital  out  of  it.  Later,  he  noticed  that  the  man's 
daughter  was  rather  nice-looking,  and  then  the 
viper  in  the  generous  man  became  apparent.  Poor 
girl,  she  was  only  one  of  many.  When  he  helped 
a  man  to  a  position  he  always  made  sure  that  he 
would  vote  his  ticket  at  the  next  election,  and  the 
ticket,  I  assure  you,  did  not  stand  for  righteousness. 
He  gave  away  a  fortune  to  charity,  and  many  souls 
to  utter  darkness.  He  thought  he  could  buy 
heaven  (what  the  blood  of  Christ  paid  for)  with  his 
miserable  pocketbook,  while  his  soul  was  only  fit 
for  a  pigsty." 

"  I  was  sitting  in  a  restaurant  a  few  nights  ago," 
said  Richard,  "  and  a  clergyman  whom  I  happen  to 
know  entered  with  three  gentlemen.  They  drank 
liquor  for  over  an  hour  fast  and  furious.  There  was 
I,  with  an  appetite  for  what  they  were  drinking,  and 
I  looked  at  fhe  man  of  religion  and  wondered  if 


92  Souls  in  Pawn 

there  was  any  harm  in  it  after  all.  A  man  and 
woman  sat  near  me,  and  I  saw  that  the  woman  was 
pleading  for  something.  The  man's  face  was  stern 
and  set,  and  I  heard  him  say,  '  No,  Annie,  I  will 
have  some  whiskey.  I  have  done  without  it  three 
months  now,  and  have  suffered  every  day.  I  will 
break  my  pledge  with  the  priest.  If  that  holy  man 
does  it,  I  can.'  What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 

"  I  have  a  few  thoughts  on  that,"  said  the  minis- 
ter. "  No  pledge  will  save  a  man  from  such  a  habit. 
God  must  create  in  him  a  clean  heart.  Had  that 
man  been  truly  converted  he  would  not  have  suf- 
fered, and  "  (this  in  a  low  voice),  "  the  man  who 
preaches  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  gives  him- 
self over  to  licentious  living,  is  a  blot  on  the  face  of 
God's  earth,  and  it  were  better  that  a  millstone  were 
hung  around  his  neck  and  that  he  were  cast  into 
the  sea.  Let  me  tell  you  now  how  to  live  right — 
believe  God.  There  are  spiritual  as  well  as  physi- 
cal laws  that  have  to  be  obeyed  to  obtain  good  re- 
sults. The  blackest  crimes  and  vilest  sins  have  been 
committed  by  people  whose  conscience  commended 
them.  Conscience  is  principally  the  child  of  our 
training.  That  is  why  revelation  is  necessary,  and 
we  are  told  to  *  believe.'  Hundreds  of  sane  people 
go  Wrong  on  just  this  point.  They  say  it  is  the  life 
only,  and  not  the  belief,  that  is  necessary,  forgetting 


Richard  Provokes  a  Discussion         93 

that  works  follow  faith,  as  the  digging  of  potatoes 
follows  their  planting." 

"  Yes,"  interrupted  Katherine,  "  and  every 
farmer  who  plants  potatoes  unconsciously  preaches 
a  sermon  of  faith.  He  believes  in  God's  agents,  and 
lets  them  develop  the  seed  he  plants." 

The  clergyman  smiles,  and  adds :  "  The  Jugger- 
naut existed  because  of  this  much  vaunted  '  honest 
belief ' ;  the  votaries  of  Venus  degraded  themselves 
for  the  same  reason ;  the  atheists  of  the  Paris  Com- 
mune made  it  their  excuse  for  their  bestial  brutality, 
and  in  all  religious  and  other  rites,  where  sin  of  the 
vilest  and  most  cruel  kind  held  sway,  the  individual 
believed  he  was  doing  right.  Go  to  your  divine 
and  holy  Lord  for  pure  faith  and  reason,  and  He 
will  guide  you.  If  you  have  gone  to  Him  honestly, 
you  have  the  witness  in  you,  and  when  you  believe 
God  it  is  easy  to  believe  His  Word." 

At  this  point  a  messenger  boy  arrived  with  a  note 
for  Dr.  Irving. 

"  It  is  from  your  friend,  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  John," 
said  the  minister,  smiling.  "  Suppose  you  come 
with  me." 

John  hesitated  and  looked  ruefully  at  Katherine, 
who  returned  the  look.  But,  thinking  that  Kath- 
erine might  be  able  to  help  Richard  spiritually,  he 
generously  said : 


94  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  I  will  be  delighted.  Perhaps  these  two  can 
reason  out  things  better  alone.  Be  steadfast,  Mr. 
Masterson,  and  have  faith  in  God." 

"  Hold  fast  to  that  which  is  good,"  said  the  min- 
ister, as  he  shook  Richard's  hand,  at  the  same  time 
looking  into  his  eyes  as  if  he  would  read  there  what 
his  intuition  told  him  had  not  been  revealed  in  the 
conversation — that  Richard's  soul  was  still  in  pawn. 


CHAPTER  XIL 

CUPID    AS    A    THEOLOGICAL    PROFESSOR 

"  I  THINK,  my  brother,"  said  Katherine,  when  she 
and  Richard  had  gone  to  the  little  parlor  of  the  par- 
sonage, "  that  you  are  far  from  being  rooted  and 
grounded  in  the  faith." 

"  You  see,"  mumbled  Richard  a  little  uneasily, 
"  I  am  a  Roman  Catholic." 

"  Do  you  not  know  how  St.  Paul  rebuked  the  men: 
who  said  they  were  of  Paul  and  of  Apollo  rather 
than  of  Christ  ?  "  she  answered  with  a  slight  gesture 
of  impatience.  "  It  matters  not  what  church  you 
go  to,  but  it  matters  a  great  deal  what  you  are.  I 
am  not  trying  to  make  a  Protestant  of  you.  I  care 
not  what  creed  you  subscribe  your  name  to,  as  long 
as  Christ  is  the  founder  of  it,  and  the  One  in  which 
it  lives  and  moves  and  has  its  being." 

"  That  is  very  broad ;  you  are  indeed  liberal,"  said 
Richard,  looking  at  her  in  amazement. 

"The  Gospel  is  liberal;  therefore,  I  am,"  said 
Katherine.  "  Faith  in  Christ  and  forgiveness 
through  His  atoning  blood  is  the  sum  and  sub- 

95 


96  Souls  in  Pawn 

stance  of  it.  Roman  Catholics,  Baptists,  Episco- 
palians, Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  all  the  other 
members  of  the  evangelical  faith  believe  the  same 
thing.  They  only  differ  in  the  non-essentials.  The 
only  thing  that  I  demand  is  that  the  non-essentials 
be  according  to  the  Word  of  God.  It  is  only  in  the 
matter  of  church  government  that  many  of  the  sects 
differ  after  all." 

"  I  know  little  about  it,  Miss  Irving,"  said  Rich- 
ard, in  a  low,  earnest  tone,  "  but  I  do  know  this — 
that  I  never  was  more  earnest  in  my  desire  to  be  a 
true  man." 

Katherine  reached  out  her  hand  to  him,  and,  as 
he  held  it  for  a  moment  within  his  own,  she  said, 
"  And  I  will  help  you." 

For  a  moment  both  were  silent.  Many  thoughts 
flashed  through  Richard's  mind  as  he  sat  there." 
Something  told  him  to  tell  her  all,  to  throw  himself 
on  a  mercy  that  he  knew  would  be  boundless,  and 
to  be  honest  at  last.  But  when  a  man  has  been 
weak  and  yielding  for  years,  it  is  rare  indeed  that 
moral  courage  is  born  in  an  instant.  So  Richard 
sighed  and  drooped  his  head,  and  with  that  sign  of 
defeat  his  high  resolves  faded  away. 

"  Be  brave,"  said  Katherine,  breaking  the  silence. 
"  Be  true  to  Christ,  and  He  will  never  fail  you." 

A  sob  that  had  left  his  heart  broke  from  Richard's 


Cupid  as  a  Theological  Professor       97 

lips.  He  thought  what  he  might  have  been  had  he 
followed  this  Christ  she  was  talking  about.  Sin  and 
unbelief  and  wrong  had  blackened  his  life.  Meshes 
of  deceit  had  hedged  up  the  walls  around  him,  and 
he  felt  that  now  he  was  bound  by  the  life  he  had 
led  and  the  deeds  he  had  done.  Lower  and  lower 
drooped  his  head,  until,  unable  to  bear  the  visions 
any  longer,  he  dropped  on  his  knees  and  laid  his 
head  on  the  chair  he  had  been  sitting,  sobbing  with 
the  weariness  of  it  all. 

It  seemed  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  for 
Katherine  to  place  her  hand  on  his  shoulder  and 
say,  "  Poor,  poor  boy,"  for,  was  he  not  seeking  her 
Christ — the  Christ  she  would  die  for.  When  he 
looked  up  at  her  with  the  tears  dimming  his  big, 
gray  eyes,  he  caught  the  look  of  tender  sympathy 
shining  in  her  own,  and  for  a  moment  he  was  tempt- 
ed to  put  his  arms  around  her  neck  as  a  tired  child 
might  have  done.  But,  looking  again,  he  caught  a 
light  in  her  eyes  that  made  him  hesitate,  and  when 
he  heard  her  breathe  the  words,  "  My  Lord,"  he 
cried  out,  "  Oh,  that  I,  too,  were  worthy  of  Him !  " 

"  His  worth  makes  up  for  your  lack  of  it,"  said 
Katherine.  No  other  word  was  said,  but  in  that 
moment,  when  the  tears  of  penitence  softened  the 
eyes  of  one,  and  the  love  of  God  and  the  brotherhood 
of  man  filled  the  heart  of  the  other,  a  love  was  born 

7 


98  Souls  in  Pawn 

in  both  hearts  that,  though  different  in  kind,  was 
destined  to  live  forever. 

"  I  must  send  you  away  now,"  said  Katherine, 
again  breaking  the  intense  silence.  "  I  am  going 
away  to-morrow  morning  for  two  weeks,  and  I  have 
much  to  do  to-night.  I  would  like  to  let  you  re- 
main longer,  but  you  are  only  one  of  a  great  number, 
you  know." 

"  Going  away,"  said  Richard,  with  a  blank  look, 
and  wincing  slightly  at  the  last  part  of  her  remark. 
"  Yes,  but  I  am  not  going  out  of  the  State.  One 
of  the  girls  in  whom  I  am  interested  is  boarding  in 
a  little  country  village  on  the  Hudson.  She  is  weak 
in  character  yet,  and  so  I  must  go  to  be  a  strength 
to  her,  for  I  want  her  to  be  well  fortified  against  the 
wiles  of  the  enemy  when  she  returns  to  New  York." 

"  You  are  an  angel,"  said  Richard,  looking  at  her. 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  said  Katherine.  "  Only  very 
young  girls'  heads  are  turned  by  such  remarks,  and 
if  you  want  to  please  me  you  will  never  pay  me  any 
compliment  of  that  kind.  When  we  get  to  know 
God  we  get  acquainted  with  ourselves  for  the  first 
time ;  and  I  know  how  far  from  being  angelic  I  am." 

"  I  can  picture  you  as  one,  though,"  said  Richard, 
looking  at  her.  "  You  would  make  a  beautiful 
angel." 

"  No  more  than  a  lily  would  make  a  lovely  song- 


Cupid  as  a  Theological  Professor       99 

ster,"  answered  Katherine,  simply,  and  without  real- 
izing what  a  compliment  she  was  paying  herself 
now.  "  In  our  places  as  ourselves  we  are  always 
lovely.  Even  the  angels  cannot  be  greater  than  we 
can  be  if  we  are  true,  for  the  Word  says  that  when 
we  see  Christ  we  shall  be  like  him.  But,"  smiling 
at  him  and  yet  drawing  herself  up  in  a  dignified  way 
that  sat  well  upon  her,  "  I  am  not  pleased  when  you 
say  such  things.  I  might  look  my  displeasure  in- 
stead of  speaking  it,  but  I  know  you  do  not  see 
things  in  the  light  that  I  do,  so  I  will  be  very  frank 
with  you  when  you  offend.  Do  not  talk  to  me  in 
that  way  again." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Richard.  "  I — I — 
did  not  mean  to " 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Katherine,  in  a  pleased  voice. 
"  I  think  I  understand  your  informal  way ;  let  us 
say  no  more  about  it." 

She  went  to  the  library  to  get  him  some  helpful 
books,  and  returned  with  some  little  volumes  on 
science  and  the  Bible,  several  on  Christian  evidence, 
and  a  volume  which  she  had  marked  in  a  great  many 
places.  "  This  one  is  by  father,"  she  said,  pointing 
to  the  latter.  "  It  contains  some  of  his  noblest  and 
most  inspired  thoughts,  and  will  surely  be  a  help 
to  you.  My  father  is  first  a  man  of  faith,  but  he 
reasons  what  can  be  reasoned  rather  than  states  the 


loo  Souls  in  Pawn 

fact  and  takes  it  for  granted.  I  do,  too.  We  can 
learn  much  about  the  unseen  in  the  seen  world — 
much  of  what  God  has  revealed  in  what  man  has 
discovered.  Science  to  me  is  a  holy  field,  and  is 
sure  to  become  one  of  the  strongest  secular  agencies 
of  righteousness  the  world  has  ever  had.  Now,  I 
must  send  you  away.  I  thank  God  for  letting  me 
know  you." 

"  You — you  do  care  for  my  welfare,  then  ?  "  ques- 
tioned Richard,  eagerly. 

"  I  do  very  much,"  said  Katherine,  warmly. 
"  Some  day  when  you,  too,  have  suffered  with  your 
Lord  and  then  rejoiced,  you  will  understand  what 
bringing  a  soul  to  Him  means." 

Richard  bowed  his  head  for  a  moment,  and  then 
looked  up  at  her.  Presently  she  said  in  a  voice  that 
touched  his  very  soul,  "  Promise  me  that  you  will 
never  go  back.  He  died  that  you  might  live — 
promise  me ! " 

"  I  promise,"  faltered  Richard,  and  so  they  parted. 

At  the  door  he  was  met  by  John,  the  minister,  and 
a  dignified-looking  woman  in  black,  whose  pale  face 
and  erect  head  said  "  aristocrat  "  as  plainly  as  if  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer  had  been  an  English  duchess  instead  of 
a  descendant  of  a  good  Dutch  woman  who  wore 
wooden  shoes,  and  whose  husband  smoked,  and 
amassed  a  fortune.  Behind  these  three  walked  a 


Cupid  as  a  Theological  Professor     101 

tall,  stout  man  with  a  florid  face  and  brown  whisk- 
ers. The  latter  was  the  proprietor  of  a  large  whole- 
sale dry-goods  house,  whose  charities  were  widely 
known  and  whose  name  was  a  synonym  for  Chris- 
tian generosity  all  over  the  city.  He  shook  hands 
with  Richard  in  a  fatherly  way,  but  the  saloon- 
keeper looked  a  little  shamefaced  at  meeting  such 
a  lot  of  goodness  together,  and,  after  a  few  words, 
he  walked  off  hastily.  John  ran  after  him,  and,  in 
his  characteristic  fashion,  struck  him  on  the  shoul- 
der and  said,  "  Good-by,  old  fellow.  Come  to  the 
mission  often,  and  run  down  to  Chinatown  when- 
ever you  can  and  sing  for  us.  The  Doctor  is  very 
much  worried  about  something,  or  he  would  have 
stopped  to  speak  to  you ;  in  fact "  (speaking  in  an 
aggrieved  tone  of  voice),  "  we  all  are." 

"  Nothing  serious,  I  hope,"  said  Richard,  think- 
ing of  Katherine. 

"  Serious  enough,"  replied  John,  looking  gloom- 
ily at  the  pavement.  "  Miss  Irving  will  feel  very 
badly." 

"  Does  it  affect  her?"  asked  Richard,  trying  to 
look  calm. 

"  Whenever  a  fellow-creature  is  wronged,  and 
the  cause  of  Christ  dishonored,  it  affects  Miss 
Irving,"  said  John,  earnestly ;  and  then,  "  [Good-by, 
old  chap.  Keep  up  your  spirits,  and  remember  that 


1O2  Souls  in  Pawn 

I  want  to  be  your  friend  whether  you  will  have  me 
or  not." 

Richard  shook  his  head,  and  muttered  as  he 
walked  away,  "  Confound  that  fellow  I  I  do  like 
him." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE    TRAIL    OF    THE    SERPENT 

WHEN  Katherine  saw  John  and  Mrs.  de  Rutyer 
enter  together,  something  like  a  faint  smile  ran  over 
her  features,  but  when  the  aristocratic,  soft  hand 
was  held  out  to  her,  and  the  stately  head  was  raised, 
while  the  cultured  tongue  said,  with  the  hiss  that 
had  the  music  of  a  fashionable  boarding-school  in 
it,  "  How  are  you,  Katherine,  dear?  Are  you  let- 
ting the  high  and  holy  have  their  way  in  your  life  ?  " 
she  bravely  succeeded,  by  biting  her  lip,  in  looking 
stately  and  good. 

People  said  that  anyone  who  told  Mrs.  de  Rutyer 
they  wanted  to  get  rid  of  self  and  die  to  the  carnal 
life  could  have  a  substantial  share  in  her  pocket- 
book,  and  anyone  who  looked  sad  and  disappointed 
when  she  questioned  them — as  she  always  did, 
whether  in  season  or  out  of  season — about  the  state 
of  their  soul  was  made  a  large  sharer  in  her  inter- 
ests. Not  that  she  had  not  common-sense,  but  that 
she  had  an  uncommon  religion.  She  believed  in 
working  while  the  sun  shone,  and  no  matter  how 
103 


104  Souls  in  Pawn 

unsuitable  the  occasion,  or  how  short  the  time,  she 
got  on  her  spiritual  pedestal  and  inquired  if  the  one 
at  the  base  was  real  good  or  a  hypocrite.  But  Kath- 
erine  loved  her  because  she  loved  everyone  who  was 
sincere.  Love,  she  always  said,  covered  a  multi- 
tude of  sins,  and  she  knew  it  was  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's 
love  for  God  and  her  fellow-creatures  that  made  her 
make  so  many  mistakes,  and  transformed  a  brilliant 
society  woman  into  a  foolish  church  woman,  who 
misinterpreted  the  Bible  and  often  did  harm  where 
she  sought  to  do  good.  However,  it  is  better  to 
limp  along  the  right  road  than  to  ride  in  a  gilded 
chariot  along  the  wrong  one. 

"  You  have  met  Mr.  Grey,  Katherine,  have  you 
not  ?  "  asked  her  father,  while  Mr.  Grey  bowed  pro- 
fusely. 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Katherine,  smiling.  "  But 
who  has  not  heard  of  Alfred  Grey,  the  Christian, 
merchant  ?  " 

This  was  the  synonym  applied  to  Mr.  Grey,  and 
to  say  that  he  liked  it  would  scarcely  describe  the 
feeling  that  surged  within  his  breast  every  time  he 
heard  it. 

"  I  have  seen  you  at  the  mission,  Miss  Irving," 
he  said,  "  and  have  been  thanking  God  for  your 
beautiful  life,  even  though  I  never  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  speak  to  you.  Mrs.  Grey  has  met  you, 
has  she  not?" 


The  Trail  of  the  Serpent  105 

"  Yes,  I  know  your  wife  and  daughters,"  an- 
swered Katherine,  and  then  her  father  asked  her  to 
sit  down,  and,  as  John  drew  five  chairs  together, 
she  noticed  the  troubled  look  on  her  father's  face. 

"  Something  is  wrong,  Papa  darling?  "  she  asked, 
anxiously  looking  at  him. 

"  Yes,  dear,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  shook  with 
emotion.  "You  may  as  well  postpone  your  trip. 
Alice  is  lost  to  us." 

"What?  "cried  Katherine. 

For  answer  he  handed  her  a  letter,  but  the  first 
few  lines  made  her  sick  at  heart,  and  she  gave  it  to 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  saying  faintly,  "  Read  it." 

The  finely  modulated  voice  of  Mrs.  de  Rutyer 
shook,  and  Katherine  knew  that  there  was  a  little 
lump  in  her  throat  that  she  bravely  tried  to  conceal. 
The  letter  was  addressed  to  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  and  ran 
as  follows : 

DEAR  MADAME:  I  do  not  feel  able  to  write  to 
dear  Miss  Irving,  so  I  ask  you  to  tell  her  not  to  try 
to  find  me,  for  I  leave  here  to-night.  I  have  tried 
and  tried,  but  it  is  all  too  hard,  and  I  have  given 
up  the  struggle.  I  was  serving  Christ  (and,  oh,  how 
I  loved  Him!)  when  a  Christian  man  engaged  in 
work  with  you  and  Dr.  Irving  led  me  astray  again. 
I  am  not  the  only  one  either.  It  was  he  who  led 
Nellie  Pierson  away  after  she  had  been  good  for 
two  years.  Nellie  killed  herself,  but  I  will  not.  I 


lo6  Souls  in  Pawn 

will  compel  him  to  give  me  a  weekly  allowance,  and 
live  now  for  pleasure,  but  heaven  help  him  if  he 
comes  near  me.  I  have  promised  not  to  expose 
him,  but,  oh,  how  I  despise  the  rascal ! 

"  I  know  you  will  say  that  the  devil  has  got  me, 
and  I  suppose  he  has ;  but  he  has  more  respectable 
people  than  I  am,  so  it  is  nothing  to  be  surprised 
at  that  I,  a  girl  of  the  streets,  have  gone  back. 

"  You  and  Miss  Irving  are  good,  and  I  believe  in 
you,  but  I  have  no  faith  in  men.  Virtue  is  nothing 
to  them.  They  join  the  church  and  are  good  for 
a  while,  but  they  know  that  forgiveness  for  them 
is  easily  obtained.  I  would  advise  you  both  to  go 
into  some  other  work.  You  cannot  help  a  girl  who 
has  ever  been  as  bad  as  I  have.  It  is  too  hard  to 
be  good,  and  to  climb,  climb,  climb  all  the  time,  and 
never  to  get  rid  of  the  fact  that  you  were  once 
fallen.  If  you  forget  it  some  one  will  recall  the 
testimony  you  were  told  to  give.  If  it  is  the  Word 
of  God  that  converts,  and  not  man-made  speeches, 
why  are  we  advised  to  publicly  disgrace  ourselves 
by  telling  every  tramp  we  meet  that  we  were  fallen  ? 
Oh,  how  I  hate  that  word !  A  woman  who  wants 
to  be  good  can  never  be  half-way  so,  as  men  can ; 
it  is  not  her  nature.  It  must  be  purity  or  impurity 
with  her.  It  has  been  left  to  men  to  be  vile  and 
yet  respectable. 

"  You  have  been  kind  to  me.  Though  you  said 
harsh  things  to  me  about  my  old  life,  I  know  that 
it  was  because  you  cared  for  me  and  wanted  to  rouse 
all  my  pride  for  the  future.  I  will  ask  you  to  do 


The  Trail  of  the  Serpent  107 

two  things.  If  you  try  to  help  a  girl,  try  to  believe 
in  her.  You  never  had  faith  in  me  and  I  felt  it ;  but 
Miss  Irving  did,  and,  when  God  left  me,  that  trust 
kept  me  for  weeks  without  rushing  back.  And 
don't  ask  people  to  tell  about  their  past  life;  if  a 
sense  of  sin  is  roused  in  them,  they  will  never  want 
to  speak  of  the  shameful  past  and  of  what  erected 
Calvary's  cross.  Ah,  it  is  only  those  that  do  not 
know  what  sin  is  who  ask  why  the  atonement  was 
needed.  Good-by. 

"  ALICE  MASLAND." 

The  tears  were  running  down  Katherine's  face 
when  her  father  looked  at  her.  John  felt  and  looked 
savage.  The  clergyman's  mouth  was  tightly  shut, 
Mr.  Grey  was  sobbing  audibly,  and  the  only  one 
who  was  calm  and  unruffled  was  Mrs.  de  Rutyer. 

"  Who  is  guilty  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  clear  voice  that 
had  a  tragic  note  in  it.  "  Of  what  use  is  our  labor 
if  there  is  a  fiend  in  our  midst?  Katherine,  we 
must  pray  and  ask  God  to  guide  us  to  find  this 
wretch." 

"  We  must  find  Alice  first,"  said  Katherine,  firm- 
ly. "  She  will  tell  me  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  of 
Christ  who  the  guilty  one  is." 

"  But,  Miss  Irving,  she  has  left  where  she  was," 
said  Mr.  Grey. 

"  I  know  that,  but  I  will  find  her.  Alice  must 
not  be  lost.  Oh,  Lord  Jesus,  help  me  to  bring  back 


io8  Souls  in  Pawn 

this  soul  to  Thee ! "  she  cried,  in  an  agonized  voice 
that  was  full  of  pain  and  pleading. 

"  I  wish  I  had  known  the  poor  girl,"  said  Mr. 
Grey,  his  voice  trembling. 

"  Why,  you  did  know  her,  brother,"  said  Mrs.  de 
Rutyer.  "  Do  you  not  remember  the  day  I  met  you 
in  the  lunch-room  on  Sixth  Avenue  with  her,  and 
you  told  me  how  strong  in  character  she  was  be- 
coming? " 

What  caused  the  red  in  Mr.  Grey's  face  puzzled 
Katherine  much,  nor  did  it  escape  her  father. 

"  Oh,  I  think  I  do  remember,"  said  Mr.  Grey, 
running  his  hand  over  his  forehead.  "  I  know  so 
many  of  the  dear  redeemed  girls  that  it  is  difficult 
for  me  to  remember  them  all.  Let  me  see,  she  was 
blonde,  was  she  not  ?  " 

"  No,  she  had  dark  hair  and  blue  eyes,"  said  Kath- 
erine, looking  at  him  with  a  curious  light  in  her 
eyes  that  was  not  lost  on  Mr.  Grey.  She  did  not 
mean  it  to  be  lost  on  him,  and  so,  without  with- 
drawing the  eyes  that  he  felt  now  were  burning  liis 
soul,  she  said:  "I  will  have  no  trouble  in  finding 
Alice." 

"  Will  you  go  to-day  ? "  he  questioned,  with 
trembling  lips  that  nearly  refused  to  ask  the  ques- 
tion. 

"  I  am  tired  to-day,"  said  Katherine,  who  did  not 


The  Trail  of  the  Serpent  109 

want  to  tell  a  lie,  and  gave  this  evasive  answer. 
"  At  what  hour  does  the  first  train  start  to-morrow 
morning  ?  " 

"  At — why,  how  should  I  know,  sister,"  said  the 
Christian  merchant,  the  white  in  his  face  now  driven 
away  by  the  guilty  red. 

"  Let  us  have  a  prayer  over  the  matter,"  said  the 
guileless  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  and  no  one  was  gladder 
than  Brother  Grey  to  bury  his  face  in  the  chair  he 
knelt  beside. 

Katherine  did  not  believe  the  Christian  merchant 
would  pray.  She  herself  felt  that  her  own  lips  could 
just  then  offer  neither  supplication  nor  thanksgiv- 
ing, so  she  looked  to  her  father  to  begin.  "  Brother 
Grey  "  forestalled  him,  however,  and,  in  passionate 
accents  that  touched  poor  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  heart 
very  much,  prayed  for  the  return  of  the  prodigal. 
Tears  choked  his  utterance  at  times,  and  they  were 
real  tears,  too;  for,  like  a  great  many  others,  the 
Christian  merchant  was  much  more  of  a  fool  than 
a  villain,  and  though  his  sentiment,  like  his  virtue, 
was  only  short-lived,  it  was  genuine  while  it  lasted. 
Of  course,  he  prayed  a  little  more  fervently  than  his 
heart  suggested,  because  his  friends  had  to  be  con- 
vinced of  his  goodness;  for,  he  argued,  it  would 
never  do  to  have  the  cause  of  Christ  dishonored  by 
his  unmasking.  This  Christian  merchant  was  very 


lio  Souls  in  Pawn 

zealous  for  the  honor  of  Christ  when  he  himself  was 
in  a  corner;  but  when  he  was  in  an  open  field  he 
concluded  that  after  all  he  was  not  a  St.  Peter,  and 
so  could  not  be  intrusted  with  the  keys  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  Of  course,  he  sighed  because  he 
was  not.  At  least  he  could  do  that;  indeed,  most 
people  thought  he  did  it  very  well,  and  he  himself 
was  inclined  to  agree  with  them. 

How  Katherine  shook  his  hand  when  he  and  John 
took  their  leave  she  did  not  know,  but  she  thought 
it  was  because  she  was  learning  to  be  as  wise  as  a 
serpent.  When  he  left  the  house  she  felt  that  the 
first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  get  the  windows  open, 
but  there  was  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  who  would  probably 
wonder  about  the  need  of  so  much  airiness. 

"  Well,  Katherine,  deah,  I  must  go  now,"  said  the 
little  aristocrat  in  her  peculiar  hissing  voice,  "  and 
I  want  you  to  pray  for  me.  Perhaps  I  am  wrong, 
and  have  not  followed  the  dear  Lord  closely  enough. 
I  may  have  a  good  deal  of  the  flesh  still.  May  God 
forgive  me  if  I  have  hindered  Alice  in  any  way." 

This  from  the  pride  of  the  de  Rutyers  was  no  lit- 
tle confession,  and  Katherine  put  her  arms  around 
her. 

"  Oh,  dear  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,"  she  said,  "  you  are 
true,  and  your  failings  are  always  weighing  down 
the  right  side  of  the  scale.  You — you  are  a  little 


The  Trail  of  the  Serpent  ill 

strange  sometimes,  and  you  are  so  ready  to  believe 
those  who  talk  smoothly,  and  to  doubt  the  honesty 
that  is  not  clothed  in  fine  words." 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  talk  frankly  to  me,  Katherine," 
she  said,  trying  to  conceal  the  tremor  in  the  well- 
trained  lips,  "  but  you  know  the  Lord  promises  us 
the  spirit  of  wisdom,  and — and  I  thought  I  had  it." 

"  Sometimes,  dear,  a  self-made  religion,  as  well 
as  worldly  feelings,  will  still  the  voice  of  the  Lord. 
I  think  that  if  we  just  breathe  His  love  day  by  day 
and  go  with  a  heart  full  of  faith  to  every  human  be- 
ing, making  them  feel  that  we  trust  them,  and  then 
if  we  read  the  Word  in  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  keep  looking  unto  Jesus  hour  by  hour  for  guid- 
ance, and  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  blinded  by  good 
or  bad  appearances,  He  will  give  us  the  spirit  of 
wisdom." 

"  Mr.  Pierce  says  that  he  believes  the  world  to  be 
a  looking-glass,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  "  and  that 
if  we  look  into  it  with  a  bright,  trusting  face  we  see 
the  same  reflection." 

"That  is  only  partially  true,"  said  Katherine, 
thoughtfully.  "  It  is  true  that  love  begets  love,  true 
that  mind  influences  mind  so  much  that  trust,  and, 
in  some  cases  I  believe,  health  can  be  produced  by 
the  great  noble  trusting  influence  of  one  friend  over 
another.  If  I  am  nervous  and  sick  and  gloomy,  and 


112  Souls  in  Pawn 

you  come  to  me  full  of  faith  and  health  and  bright- 
ness pointing  me  forward  to  bluer  skies  and  clearer 
days,  if  your  laugh  drowns  my  groan  and  your 
Christian  optimism  overshadows  my  cynical  pessim- 
ism, I  am  cured.  Or,  if  I  have  no  faith  in  myself, 
and  those  around  me  generously  agree  that  I  ought 
not  to  have,  and  you  come  trusting  me  and  believ- 
ing great  things  about  me  and  are  firmly  convinced 
that  you  will  yet  see  me  planted  on  the  mountain- 
tops  of  triumph,  I  am  very  apt  to  get  there." 

"  This  is  science  more  than  religion,  though, 
Katherine." 

"  Dearie,"  said  Katherine,  speaking  as  if  Mrs.  de 
Rutyer  was  a  child,  "  God's  Word  is  all  science. 
Love  is  of  God,  and  it  is  only  the  heart  that  has 
drunk  of  love  at  the  great  fountain-head  that  can 
trust  a  weak,  falling  fellow-creature.  It  is  a  scien- 
tific fact  that  those  who  live  by  the  sword  will  die 
by  the  sword,  for  every  evil  thought  or  action  re- 
turns to  torture  the  owner's  soul,  and  the  sword- 
thrust  comes  back." 

"Then,  where  is  the  falsehood  in  Mr.  Pierce's 
theory?  "  asked  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  humbly. 

"  Here,"  said  Katherine,  quietly.  "  Christ  wept 
over  Jerusalem,  but  it  put  him  to  death.  Men  and 
women  in  every  country  have  come  to  the  multi- 
tude, weeping  their  hearts  away  for  love  of  them, 


The  Trail  of  the  Serpent  1 13 

and  they  have  stoned  and  hanged  and  burned  them ; 
but,"  in  a  low  voice,  "  they  have  come  back  to  wor- 
ship at  their  graves,  so  that  love  finally  triumphed 
after  all.  It  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,  and,  dear 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  you  and  I  will  live  this  great  gospel 
of  love.  We  will  both  commence  anew  to-day,  and 
if  we  tread  on  rough  ground  we  will  know  that  that 
very  path  was  glorified  by  Him." 

"  Perhaps  He  has  been  giving  me  the  spirit  of 
wisdom  through  you,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  simply, 
and  they  parted. 


8 


CHAPTER  XIV, 

A  HYPOCRITE  IN  A  TRAP 

RICHARD  MASTERSON  was  sitting  in  the  parlor  of 
his  little  home  holding  his  boy  on  his  lap,  and 
gloomily  watching  the  movements  of  his  wife  as  she 
went  around  attending  to  her  household  duties, 
when  a  knock  at  the  door  announced  a  messenger 
boy,  who  brought  the  following  note  from  Kath- 
erine : 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  IN  CHRIST  :  Will  you  go 
down  to  Chinatown  and  sing  for  the  girls  to-night  ? 
You  might  give  them  a  little  talk,  too,  if  you  will, 
though  I  warn  you  to  be  very  careful  what  you  say, 
because  the  members  of  the  Finnegan  Association 
are  all  born  critics.  Helping  others  will  surely 
help  you,  and  with  the  love  of  your  Redeemer  in 
your  heart  I  know  you  want  to  work  for  Him. 

"  May  God  bless  you,  and  may  you  grow  in  the 
knowledge  and  grace  of  His  dear  Son. 

"  Sincerely  yours,  in  His  blessed  fellowship, 

"  KATHERINE  IRVING/' 

"  I  will  go,"  Richard's  note  said,  and  as  a  post- 
script he  added :    "  Come  back  soon,  it  will  be  so 
114 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  115 

lonely  without  you.  I  have  no  one  else  to  talk  to 
me  about  God."  And  all  the  while  his  wife  was 
hovering  near,  never  thinking  that  another  woman 
was  the  cause  of  the  soft  light  in  Richard's  eyes  or 
the  gentleness  in  his  voice. 

"  Pop,  old  Mary  is  dead,"  said  Stevie,  proud  to 
be  able  to  impart  such  a  piece  of  information. 

"  And  who  is  old  Mary  ?  "  queried  Richard. 

"  The  apple-woman  down  the  street  w'at  sells 
newspapers  when  the  business  is  bad,  me  dear,"  said 
Stevie,  imitating  the  old  lady's  voice  to  perfection. 

Richard  laughed,  and  requested  more  informa- 
tion. 

"  I  have  four  childher,  me  dear ;  leastways,  they're 
me  sister's  childher  w'ats  dead  these  two  years," 
continued  Stevie,  "  and  times  is  hard.  Oh,  this  bad 
cough,"  and  the  little  mimic  gave  a  short,  dry  cough 
that  fairly  imitated  the  poor  consumptive's. 

"  And  where  are  your  childher  ?  "  asked  Richard. 

"  Don't  know,  Pop,"  said  Stevie,  gravely.  "  Old 
Mary  is  dead,  you  know.  Pop,  where  would  I  be 
if  you  were  dead  ?  " 

If  this  question  did  not  wake  Richard's  reasoning 
powers,  it  woke  his  heart,  and  he  got  up  to  put  his 
hat  on. 

"  Show  me  old  Mary's  place,  Steve,"  he  said. 

"  Oh,  I  can't,  Pop.    They  used  to  live  down  the 


u6  Souls  in  Pawn 

street,  but  when  old  Mary's  cough  got  worse  she 
went  to  the  hospital,  and  the  childher  went  down- 
town somewhere  with  some  old  woman  till  Aunt 
Mary  got  better.  I  liked  Petie  Finnegan ;  we  were 
great  chums.  I  met  him  at  school,  you  know." 

"  Did  Petie  have  a  sister  Kate  ?  "  asked  Richard, 
remembering  Katherine's  many  talks  to  him  about 
the  founder  of  the  Finnegan  Association. 

"  Yes,  he  did,  Pop.  She  told  me  one  day  that 
she  was  going  to  be  a  primmy  donny  when  she 
growed  up." 

"  Heaven  forbid,"  said  Richard  almost  reverently, 
and  then,  after  thinking  for  some  moments,  he  sat 
down  to  await  the  club  hour  in  Chinatown  and  to 
mentally  plan  his  next  meeting  with  Katherine. 

While  he  was  doing  this,  Katherine,  heavily 
veiled,  was  playing  sleuth  at  the  Grand  Central  Sta- 
tion, and  carefully  watching  the  Christian  merchant 
who  pretended  to  be  busily  engaged  in  reading  a 
newspaper.  She  had  been  waiting  for  several 
hours,  her  intuition  telling  her  that  the  merchant 
would  appear  during  the  day,  in  order  to  warn 
Alice  that  she  was  about  to  search  for  her.  It  was 
only  through  the  letter,  which  was  postmarked 
Poughkeepsie,  that  Katherine  had  a  clew,  and  it  was 
that  that  told  her  to  go  to  the  station.  She  was 
secretly  rejoicing  at  her  success,  though  her  heart 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  117 

was  heavy,  and  a  great  wave  of  indignation  at  the 
thought  of  how  her  father  had  trusted  this  man 
swept  over  her  and  threatened  for  a  moment  to 
choke  her.  She  noticed  that  the  Christian  mer- 
chant's train  was  ready,  so  she  decided  that  hers 
was  too,  and,  drawing  her  heavy  mourning  veil 
closer,  she  followed  him.  After  a  two  hours'  ride 
from  New  York,  and,  as  the  suspense  was  becom- 
ing almost  unbearable,  the  Christian  merchant  sud- 
denly arose  to  his  feet  and  left  the  train.  Katherine 
followed  him,  and  found  that  the  station  was  New 
Hamburgh,  a  pretty  little  hamlet  on  the  banks  of 
the  Hudson.  There  was  only  one  conveyance  at 
the  station,  a  rickety-looking  buggy,  and  Mr.  Grey 
took  that,  so  Katherine,  nonplussed  and  undecided, 
stood  on  the  little  platform  and  looked  blankly  at 
the  old  stage-driver  who  drove  up,  calling  out, 
"  Stage  for  Woppingers  Falls." 

A  tall,  healthy,  happy-looking  woman  stood  near 
by  and  caressed  her  bicycle  with  her  right  hand, 
while  she  watched  the  passengers  depart  for  Wop- 
pingers Falls.  This  was  one  of  the  great  events  at 
New  Hamburgh,  and  the  woman  was  mentally  ask- 
ing herself  how  much  Mrs.  Matthews  spent  in  New 
York,  and  where  Mrs.  Lawson  got  the  fare  to  go 
there,  when  Katherine  touched  her  on  the  shoulder 
and  said  pleadingly,  "Will  you  lend  me  your 
wheel  I"- 


1 18  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Well,  I  never !  "  ejaculated  the  woman. 

"  I  know  you  did  not,"  assented  Katherine,  "  but 
you  must  not  refuse  me.  A  soul  is  weighing  in  the 
balance.  I  will  leave  you  my  watch  as  security, 
until  I  return." 

"  You  are  a  Christian  ?  "  queried  the  woman. 

Katherine  nodded. 

"  Then  I  will  trust  you.  I  am  Mrs.  Roberts,  and 
my  husband  is  one  of  the  elders  in  the  little  church 
you  see  over  there,"  pointing  over  her  shoulder. 
"  So  when  you  return  just  ask  for  me ;  anybody  in 
town  will  be  able  to  direct  you." 

"  You  have  done  it  for  Him,"  said  Katherine, 
and,  after  deftly  pinning  up  the  bottom  of  her  skirt, 
she  mounted  the  wheel,  steered  around  the  village 
pump  and  followed  the  buggy,  which  was  just  cross- 
ing the  drawbridge.  The  chase  was  becoming  ex- 
tremely exciting,  but  Katherine  knew  she  had  to  be 
cautious,  so  she  let  the  Christian  merchant  keep 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead  of  her.  Near  the 
iron  foundry  which  shades  the  waters  of  the  little 
creek  she  met  eight  or  nine  grimy  workingmen  re- 
turning from  their  day  of  toil,  and  she  noticed  that 
they  looked  at  her  suspiciously.  A  woman  in  deep 
mourning,  whose  face  was  shrouded  in  a  sombre 
veil  and  who  was  mounted  on  a  bicycle  that  they 
all  recognized  to  be  Mrs.  Roberts',  was  certainly  a 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  1 19 

vision  to  call  forth  suspicion.  Mr.  Roberts,  who 
was  about  to  ride  home  on  his  wheel,  was  among 
the  men,  and  he  approached  Katherine  and  said, 
"  Where  did  you  get  that  bicycle,  ma'am?  " 

The  whole  scene  that  was  to  follow  flashed  before 
Katherine's  mind  in  an  instant  of  time — the  ex- 
planation and  the  delay,  during  which  she  would 
surely  lose  sight  of  those  whom  she  was  following, 
and  so,  without  answering,  she  threw  all  her  energy 
into  her  pedals  and  handle-bars,  and  fairly  flew  up 
the  road.  This,  of  course,  convinced  Mr.  Roberts 
that  his  wife's  wheel  was  stolen  by  a  thief,  so  he 
mounted  his  own  and  followed  her.  Katherine, 
looking  over  her  shoulder,  saw  this,  and  her  heart 
sank  within  her.  "  Lord  help  me,"  she  cried,  ear- 
nestly, and  faster  and  faster  she  flew.  At  the  turn 
of  the  road  she  saw  that  the  buggy  was  only  a  little 
ahead  of  her.  What  if  she  were  seen  and  recog- 
nized ?  What  if  Mr.  Roberts  should  ask  the  aid  of 
the  occupants  to  catch  the  thief ! 

"  Something  must  be  done,"  she  cried,  despair- 
ingly. 

Her  pursuer  had  not  yet  reached  the  turn,  and, 
as  she  looked  around  for  some  way  of  escape,  her 
eye  fell  upon  a  large  bottle  lying  on  the  road-side. 
Quick  as  a  flash  came  the  thought  that  caused  her 
to  spring  from  her  wheel,  and  an  instant  later  she 


12O  Souls  in  Pawn 

had  crushed  the  bottle  into  small  bits  with  a  stone, 
and  had  industriously  spread  the  pieces  all  over  the 
road.  Then  she  mounted  her  wheel,  and  was  off 
again.  A  moment  later  she  heard  a  curious  sound 
followed  by  several  ejaculations,  and  she  knew  that 
Mr.  Roberts'  bicycle  tires  were  punctured  to  perfec- 
tion, and  that  the  glass  bottle  had  done  its  work 
well. 

"  How  John  would  enjoy  that  scene,"  said  Kath- 
erine  to  herself,  and  then,  as  she  looked  back  and 
saw  the  disconsolate  man  looking  helplessly  at  her 
flying  figure,  repentance  seized  her,  and  she  was 
almost  sorry  that  she  had  not  surrendered. 

"  But  I  will  pay  for  the  tires,  and  he  will  enjoy 
the  joke  to-morrow,"  she  said,  laughingly,  and  then 
her  mirth  suddenly  subsided,  for  Mr.  Grey  had 
stopped  before  a  little  wayside  cottage,  and  was 
paying  the  driver. 

Katherine  rode  on  a  little  farther,  and,  when  she 
saw  the  Christian  merchant  enter  the  house  after 
the  buggy  had  driven  off,  she  dismounted  and 
walked  back  cautiously.  Creeping  up  to  the  door 
she  heard  Alice  in  a  thick  voice  tell  the  woman  who 
attended  to  her  housekeeping  duties  to  go  to  bed, 
and  when  the  housekeeper  obeyed  and  she  had 
closed  the  door  of  her  room,  the  girl  for  whom  the 
Christian  merchant  had  been  praying  that  morning 
said  to  him : 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  121 

"  Well,  hypocrite,  have  you  come  up  to  pray  with 
me?" 

"  Alice,  why  do  you  treat  me  in  this  way  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Grey,  in  an  aggrieved  tone  of  voice.  "  Such 
sarcasm  is  entirely  uncalled  for." 

"  Yes,  I  agree  with  you.  I  ought  to  use  a  horse- 
whip instead,"  said  Alice,  laughing  loudly  at  her 
own  joke. 

"  Why  did  you  write  to  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  Alice  ?  " 
he  questioned,  crossly.  "  I  was  nearly  discovered, 
and  my  remorse  was  terrible.  Oh,  dear  girl,  I  beg 
of  you  to  put  away  that  whiskey  and  that  horrid 
cigarette  and  listen  to  me.  I  am  truly  penitent,  and 
will  do  all  I  can  to  undo  what  I  have  done." 

Alice  took  a  little  book  out  of  her  pocket  and 
marked  a  cross  on  it,  saying,  at  the  same  time, 
"  This  is  exactly  the  forty-eighth  time  you  have  told 
me  that,  and  I  know  for  a  certainty  that  you  have 
been  saying  it  off  and  on  for  seven  years,  especially 
after  revival  services." 

Mr.  Grey  bowed  his  head,  and  then  said :  "  You 
know,  Alice,  that  the  Bible  says  there  is  no  con- 
demnation to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 

"  And  you  pretend  that  you  are  in  Christ  Jesus  ?  " 
cried  Alice,  laughing  uproariously.  "  You  pious 
old  wretch,  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  as  works 
without  faith  is  dead  so  also  is  faith  without  works, 


122  Souls  in  Pawn 

and  that  it  is  not  the  ones  who  merely  say,  '  Lord, 
Lord,'  but  those  who,  with  that,  do  the  will  of  God, 
who  are  saved.  Look  here,  Grey,  you  will  never 
see  the  face  of  God  any  more  than  I  will.  I  do  not 
believe  you  were  ever  converted  in  heart.  If  you 
were,  you  could  not  sin  and  not  suffer.  I  am  suf- 
fering the  tortures  of  the  damned  for  my  falling 
away." 

"  You  frighten  me,  Alice." 

"  Have  a  little  whiskey  to  strengthen  you,  then." 

"  I  think  I  will,"  he  said ;  "  though  on  general 
principles,  of  course,  I  condemn  it.  I  am  suffering 
with  an  awful  toothache,  so  if  you  do  not  mind  I 
will  smoke  this  cigar,  which  I  borrowed  from  the 
man  who  brought  me  here." 

Alice  roared  with  laughter.  It  was  so  amusing 
to  her  to  have  him  keep  up  appearances  of  piety 
with  her.  He  had  been  borrowing  cigars  and 
drinking  whiskey  against  his  principles  so  long  that 
she  always  looked  for  the  usual  explanations. 

Katherine  knelt  outside  the  door,  and,  as  the  faint 
rays  of  the  early  evening  fell  upon  her  hair,  tingeing 
it  with  a  soft  light,  she  looked  like  some  glorified 
being  who  was  pleading  with  God  for  lost  souls. 
The  tears  filled  her  eyes,  and  her  voice  was  scarcely 
audible  to  herself  when  she  said :  "  Oh,  my  precious 
Redeemer,  how  can  he  pain  you  so  ?  How  can  he 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  123 

sit  in  there,  knowing  that  you  are  looking  at  him 
and  knowing  you  as  he  must.  Dear  Jesus,  do  let 
me  try  to  make  up  for  it  to  you,"  and  Katherine 
lifted  up  her  hands  as  if  to  caress  the  feet  of  the 
Master,  even  as  the  "  woman  who  loved  much  "  had 
done  at  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee.  "  Let  me 
save  Alice,  your  poor  little  lamb  who  has  lost  her 
way  in  the  thicket,  and  tell  me  what  to  do  with  him. 
He  has  deceived  my  dear,  good  father,  and  has  pol- 
luted the  very  air  of  the  church  and  mission  with  his 
presence,  but  You  must  deal  with  him,  for,  wicked 
as  he  is,  I  would  not  dare  to.  It  is  You  who  are 
the  aggrieved  one — You,  who  died  that  he  might 
live." 

Great  courage  and  great  gentleness  seemed  to 
come  to  Katherine  just  then,  and  she  arose  and  en- 
tered the  house. 

The  Christian  Merchant  dropped  his  glass  to  the 
floor,  and  Alice  screamed  hysterically :  "  Miss 
Irving!  Miss  Irving!  Miss  Irving!" 

"  How  could  you  be  so  wicked,  Mr.  Grey  ?  "  said 
Katherine,  as  calmly  as  if  she  were  speaking  to  a 
baby.  "  How  could  you  use  the  cross  that  He  car- 
ried to  shelter  you  in  your  iniquity  ?  " 

"  My  God,  my  sins  have  found  me  out ! "  cried 
the  frightened  man.  "  Miss  Irving,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  about  it?  " 


124  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  I  do  not  know  yet,"  said  Katherine,  looking 
fixedly  at  him.  "  God  will  decide  for  me.  Of 
course,  you  must  leave  our  work  at  once,  and  must 
stop  preaching  the  Gospel  everywhere." 

"  You  would  not  tell  my  wife — you  would  not  ex- 
pose me ! "  he  gasped.  "  You  know  how  the  public 
would  jeer,  and  how  the  cause  of  Christ  would  be 
dishonored." 

"  I  suppose  some  people  would  look  at  it  in  that 
way,  but  I  do  not,"  said  Katherine,  resolutely. 
"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  not  meat  nor  drink, 
and  people  are  not  led  to  the  Son  of  God  by  being 
made  sure  that  no  one  who  has  put  his  hand  to  the 
plough  has  turned  back.  God's  house  must  be  a 
clean  one.  The  ones  who  would  laugh  will  be  those 
who,  perhaps,  would  not  care  to  do  anything  else ; 
but  the  ones  whom  you  are  harming  now,  and  whom 
I  would  hurt  by  helping  you  to  cover  your  sin,  are 
the  children  of  God  who  are  trying  to  follow  Him." 

A  murderous  light  shone  in  the  Christian  Mer- 
chant's eyes,  and  he  cried  wildly,  "  You  would  not 
dare  to  expose  me !  " 

"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  age,"  quoted  Katherine,  firmly.  "  God  is  my 
refuge,  and  you  need  have  no  doubts  but  that  I  will 
do  my  full  duty  to  Him.  Alice  "  (turning  to  the 
girl),  "  get  up  and  dress  yourself.  You  must  leave 
here  at  once." 


A  Hypocrite  in  a  Trap  125 

"  She  will  do  no  such  thing,"  cried  Mr.  Grey,  now 
assuming  a  threatening  attitude,  and  looking  fur- 
tively at  the  door  as  if  to  see  what  his  next  move 
would  be.  Katherine  saw  it,  but  no  touch  of  fear 
came  near  her. 

"  Hold  my  hand,  Lord,"  she  whispered,  with  the 
simplicity  of  a  child,  and  just  then  a  knock  was 
heard,  and,  in  response  to  Katherine's  "  Come  in," 
Mr.  Roberts  and  another  stalwart  workman  en- 
tered. 

Katherine  went  up  to  them,  and,  taking  Mr. 
Roberts's  hand,  said,  "  I  am  so  glad  you  came.  Are 
you  a  Christian  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so,"  was  the  answer  in  a  surprised  voice, 
for  the  robbery  of  a  bicycle  and  the  appearance  of 
the  evident  carousal  before  him  scarcely  justified 
such  a  question.  "  My  name  is  Charles  Roberts." 

"  Oh,  then  it  is  your  wife's  bicycle  I  rode  here  on. 
I  will  explain  its  presence  later,  but  now  I  want  you 
and  your  friend  to  help  me  to  get  this  poor  girl 
back  to  the  village.  My  name  is  Katherine  Irving," 
and  she  handed  him  her  card,  on  which  was  the 
name  of  the  New  York  mission  in  which  she  and 
her  father  labored. 

"  Of  course,  we  will,"  was  the  hearty  reply. 
"  Why,  I  know  your  father  well." 

"  I  will  explain  my  visit,  and,"  a  little  playfully, 


126  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  the  story  of  the  accident  to  your  bicycle,  as  we 
return  to  the  village." 

Mr.  Roberts  smiled  and  tried  to  look  pleasant, 
and  then  he  told  his  workman  to  ride  back  to  the 
village,  and,  after  telling  Mrs.  Roberts  to  prepare 
a  room  and  welcome  for  two  guests,  to  return  with 
a  conveyance. 

"  You  may  go  now,"  said  Katherine  to  Mr.  Grey, 
and  he  looked  at  her  firm  mouth  and  clear  eyes  and, 
without  a  word,  departed.  Alice  grew  hysterical, 
and  it  was  several  hours  before  Katherine  could  get 
her  quiet  enough  to  enter  the  buggy  which  the 
workingman  had  brought  for  her  conveyance  to  the 
village.  During  the  long  hours  of  the  night  the 
young  missionary  watched  over  the  troubled  girl, 
who  moaned  and  cried  for  mercy,  and  when  in  seem- 
ing response  to  her  prayers  the  moaning  ceased,  and 
a  calm,  sweet  sleep  ensued,  it  seemed  to  Katherine 
as  if  the  very  angels  of  God  had  filled  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XV 

COMEDY    AND    TRAGEDY    IN    CHINATOWN 

CHINATOWN  was  changed.  A  change,  strange 
and  tmexplainable,  had  come  over  the  even  tenor 
of  its  way.  There  was  not  as  much  noise  as  for- 
merly, and  the  Apache-like  playfulness  that  had 
formerly  characterized  the  frisking  frolics  of  the 
neighborhood  had  ceased,  and  in  its  place  was  a 
subdued  murmur  that  boded  strange  things.  Katie 
Finnegan  was  converted ;  there  was  no  doubt  about 
it.  She  went  to  the  club  and  about  her  usual  duties, 
but  there  was  a  something  gleaming  in  her  eye  that 
hid  the  squint  almost  entirely,  and  actually  made  the 
freckled  face  look  attractive. 

"  My  stars ! "  said  Aggie  Murphy,  who  always 
went  into  raptures  when  anything  unusual  hap- 
pened. That  was  all  she  could  ejaculate  whenever 
she  met  Katie,  but  it  meant  a  great  deal. 

At  the  meeting  we  are  privileged  to  peep  into 
there  was  a  great  throng.     Richard  sat  beside  the 
president,  who  held  a  potato-masher,  which  did  duty 
as  a  gavel,  and  the  members  sat  around  gaping. 
127 


128  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  We'll  open  dis  caboose — I  mean  dis  meetin'  wid 
prayer,"  said  Katie,  and  (seeing  some  of  the  girls 
giggle)  "anywan  what  doesn't  want  to  pray  will 
get  dere  noses  mashed." 

"  Oh,  Katie,"  remonstrated  Richard,  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  I  beg  yer  parding,  sir,  but  I  wants  me  members 
to  pray — o'  course,  dey  don't  needs  to  if  dey  don't 
wants  to,  but " 

"  Dat's  just  where  de  fun  comes  in,"  said  Lizzie 
Kelly,  the  rebel  of  former  occasions.  "  Yer  just  as 
pigoted  as  de  rest  o'  dem  what  gets  de  notion  dat 
dey're  little  Saint  Pauls." 

"Ah,  give  yer  tongue  a  holiday,"  commented 
Sadie  Cohen,  the  "  ex-vice,"  who  remembered  that 
she  lost  her  office  partly  through  Lizzie,  "  Dere's  no 
such  word  as  '  pigoted,'  anyhow." 

"  Well,  if  dere  ain't,  dere  ought  to  be  to  describe 
you,"  retorted  Lizzie. 

"  Girls,  girls,"  said  Richard,  reprovingly. 

"  Behave  rightly,  girls,"  supplemented  the  presi- 
dent, knocking  on  the  table  with  the  potato-masher. 
"  Yez  talk  like  a  lot  o'  feathered  Zulus.  Bow  yer 
heads ;  I'll  keep  me  temper,  and  the  rest  o'  ye  keep 
yer  mouths  shut  while  Mr.  Masterson  prays." 

"  I  would  rather  you  would  pray,  Katie,"  returned 
Richard.  "  It  would  have  more  of  an  effect  on  the 
girls." 


Comedy  and  Tragedy  in  Chinatown     129 

"  All  right,"  said  Katie,  and,  clearing  her  throat, 
she  began :  "  Dear  Lord,  I  wish  you'd  save  the  bad 
gang  w'at  comes  in  here  to  be  fresh.  We  kin  all 
be  a  blessing  to  each  odder,  but  some  wants  to  boss 
de  roost,  an'  some  wouldn't  be  happy  if  dey  wasn't 
fightin'  wid  somebody." 

"  Listen  to  who's  talkin',"  interrupted  one  mem- 
ber, and  another  followed  with  the  remark  that  "  Kit 
Finnegan  was  off  her  base,"  while  sundry  remarks 
about  the  pious  president,  far  from  a  complimentary 
character,  proceeded  from  every  corner. 

"  Dey're  at  it  again.  Saints  in  glory,  intercede 
for  dem  before  dey're  mouths  hangs  dem  by  the 
neck,"  added  Katie. 

"  Katie,  you  are  praying  to  the  Lord  and  need  no 
mediator,"  said  Richard,  as  gravely  as  Katherine 
would  have  said  it.  "  Do  not  say  anything  to  the 
saints." 

"  Well,  dear  Lord,  dey's  a  bad  lot.  [Katie  meant: 
the  members,  not  the  saints.]  I'm  not  much  bet- 
ter, but  I'm  honestly  doin'  my  best  to  be ;  keep  de 
gang  orderly  to-night,  an'  make  de  Finnegan  As- 
sociation a  club  w'at  decent  people  kin  attend. 
Amen.  Now,  loidies,  to  business;  let's  elect  new 
officers." 

"  I  nominate  Carrie  Schmeerkase  for  vice-presi- 
dent," said  a  member. 
9 


130  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Not  on  yer  life,"  said  Katie,  "  not  unless  Carrie 
mends  her  ways." 

"  Ah,  mend  yer  stockings,"  said  Carrie,  jumping 
up,  "  we  can  nominate  a  hoodoo,  if  we  want  to ;  dis 
ain't  no  religious  jimdoodle." 

"  It's  goin'  to  be,  dough,"  said  Katie. 

"  Well,  den,  pay  for  de  herring  ye  swiped  last 
week  from  de  Dutchman  an'  de  apples  from  de 
Dago,  an'  fix  up  de  loidy  whose  heel  ye  cut  wid  a 
stone." 

"  If  ye  said  dat  a  week  ago  I'd  ha'  broke  yer  com- 
plexion," said  the  president,  "  but  to-night  I  won't. 
I'm  goin'  to  pay  for  everyt'ing  I  owe.  I'm  sorry 
for  de  heel,  but  I  can't  help  it  now.  Carrie,  ye 
know  yer  a  bad  hairpin  yerself,  but  I  won't  expose 
ye — maybe  ye'll  repent." 

"  G'wan,  tell  on  me — tell  about  de  day  I " 

"  Don't  finish,  Carrie ;  I  won't  tell,"  said  the  presi- 
dent. "  'Tain't  honest  to  peach ;  I'm  honest." 

"  Say !  some  turrible  t'ing  has  changed  Katie  Fin- 
negan,"  said  Aggie  Murphy,  her  eyes  as  large  as 
bullets  with  astonishment.  "  I  move  dat  we  all  get 
changed  de  same  way." 

"  Moved,  seconded,  carried,  yes,"  answered  the 
president.  "  Goils,  all  o'  you  who  want  to  be 
changed  hoi'  up  yer  paws." 

Twenty  hands  went  up  immediately,  and  Katie, 
in  a  solemn  voice,  said : 


Comedy  and  Tragedy  in  Chinatown     131 

"  Goils,  say  dis  after  me :  '  Lord,  who  changed 
mean,  bad,  lyin'  Katie  Finnegan,  change  me,  for 
I'm  de  same.  I'm  bad  to  me  mudder,  I  am ;  I  steal 
from  her ;  I  spen'  Sunday  gaddin'  about  like  a  goat 
wid  four  legs,  two  horns,  an'  no  soul.  I'm  goin' 
along  gettin'  worse  every  day.  Please  change  me 
an'  make  me  good.  Amen ! ' ' 

It  was  hard  medicine,  but  the  girls  took  it,  and, 
when  Richard  got  up  to  teach  them  to  sing  "  There 
is  sunshine  in  my  soul  to-day,"  they  all  did  their 
best. 

"  Mr.  Masterson,"  said  Katie,  after  they  had  sung, 
"  I'd  like  to  be  jes'  a  figure  in  dis  club,  an'  get  some 
saint  to  be  de  real  president." 

"  No  infallible  dame  for  me,"  said  Ida  Finkel- 
stein,  who  read  the  newspapers.  "  Ye'd  be  sayin' 
den  ye  were  inspired,  an'  ud  be  kickin'  us  out  some 
night  wid  yer  holy  toe.  Have  sense,  Katie !  " 

"  Yes,  Katie.  I  think  we  had  better  have  a  flesh- 
and-blood  president,"  said  Richard,  trying  to  look 
grave. 

"  P'raps  yer  right,  sir,  so  I'll  nominate  me  old 
enemy  in  de  flesh,  "Lizzie  Kelly,  for  vice.  "  The 
flesh  "  was  the  only  Biblical  term  Katie  could  re- 
member, and  she  used  it  at  the  first  opportunity. 

"  I  second  dat,"  said  a  member. 

"  An*  I  accept,"  said  Lizzie.  "  Yer  honest  now, 
Katie,  and  I'll  stan'  by  ye." 


132  Souls  in  Pawn 

Lizzie  was  elected,  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
talk  about  minor  matters  and  a  good  deal  of  argu- 
ment about  Katie  Finnegan  and  her  future ;  for  the 
members  looked  upon  their  president  as  being  some 
wonderful  being  who  was  already  beyond  their  ken. 

Lizzie  Dominico  was  elected  to  the  position  of 
secretary,  and,  after  a  good  deal  of  voting  that  was 
certainly  not  parliamentary,  a  bright  little  colored 
girl  named  Mamie  Scollard  was  nominated  for  the 
office  of  treasurer. 

"  All  coons  look  alike  to  me,"  cried  a  member  in 
the  back  of  the  room. 

"  Not  to  me,  dere's  a  difference  in  de  wool,"  said 
another,  who  had  the  reputation  of  being  something 
of  a  wit. 

"  She's  got  de  mark  o'  Cain  on  her  mug,  an'  she'd 
swipe  a  nickel  off  a  dead  man's  eye,  let  alone  bein' 
careful  o'  de  funds,"  said  the  former  treasurer, 
Mattie  Foy. 

This  caused  loud  guffaws,  cat-calls  and  cheers, 
and  Richard  looked  a  little  anxiously  around  the 
room,  and  wished  that  Katherine  was  there  to  main- 
tain order.  But  he  had  nothing  to  fear,  as  he 
learned  a  moment  later,  when  the  president  knocked 
on  the  table  with  the  potato-masher  and  said  in  a 
loud  voice,  "  Dis  is  de  Finnegan  Association ;  I'm 
Katie  Finnegan." 


Comedy  and  Tragedy  in  Chinatown     133 

"  Oh,  y'are,  an'  who's  we  ? "  asked  an  unruly 
member. 

"  Ten  numbers  less  dan  nawt'in,"  said  the  presi- 
dent. "  Any  loidies  dat  would  stand  up,  an'  down 
anuder  because  it  pleased  de  Lord  to  give  her  a 
mournin'  color  ain't  nobody." 

"  Well,  we  don't  want  no  colored  treasurer." 

"  She  ain't  colored,"  said  the  president.  "  No- 
body's been  dyin'  her." 

"  Oh,  dat's  all  right,  but  she's  black." 

"  Tain't  because  she  don't  wash  herself,  an'  dats 
more'n  udders  can  say,"  retorted  the  president,  and 
then,  turning  to  the  club,  she  harangued  it  thus : 

"  I  like  Mamie  Scollard.  Why?  'Cause.  Vote 
her  down  if  yez  have  a  good  reason,  but  her  color  is 
as  good  in  de  wash  as  anyone's  here,  an'  I'll  bet 
w'en  de  Lord  stoops  down  to  listen  to  our  prayers 
at  night,  He  listens  a  bit  closer  to  Mamie  Scollard, 
'cause  she  ain't  got  no  mudder  and  never  had.  No- 
body's ever  owned  Mamie,  an'  I  want  dis  club 
t'adopt  her." 

"  An'  we  will,"  cried  a  number  of  voices,  for  the 
little  girls  of  the  slums  were  as  tender-hearted  as 
they  were  quick-witted ;  and  any  appeal  to  their  gen- 
erosity was  always  responded  to.  And  so  it  was 
that  Mamie  became  the  treasurer. 

When  the  voting  had  subsided  and  quiet  was  re- 


134  Souls  in  Pawn 

stored,  Richard  sang  several  songs,  and,  when  he 
saw  the  glad  faces  of  his  little  auditors,  a  great  long- 
ing to  be  good  and  helpful  rilled  his  soul,  and  then 
he  thought  of  a  pure,  fair  face;  of  a  soft  voice 
sweeter  than  any  music  that  he  had  ever  heard ;  of 
a  great  soul  full  of  faith  and  fire  and  enthusiasm, 
and  he  realized  how  very  far  apart  they  were.  But 
it  was  only  sentiment,  after  all.  Religious  senti- 
ment makes  one  sigh  and  hope  and  write  poetry. 
Regeneration  makes  one  fight  evil  because  it  is  evil, 
and  cry  out  in  agony  for  good  because  it  is  good. 

"  I  want  to  walk  home  with  you,  Katie,"  he  said, 
turning  to  the  president  as  the  members  were  giving 
their  club  cheer  of 

"  Finnegan,  Finnegan,  ha,  ha,  ha! 
Win  again,  win  again,  rah,  rah,  rah! 
Who  said  she  wanted  her  mamma? 
Bah,  Bah,  Bah!" 

"  Dat's  fine,"  said  Katie,  pretending  not  to  have 
heard  Richard's  request. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  he  responded.  "  Now,  Miss  Fin- 
negan, which  way  ?  " 

Katie  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  and  said,  "  I 
guess  you're  a  dead  gone  Christian  all  right,  so  lets 
get  out  into  de  street  an'  I'll  tell  yez." 

When  they  reached  the  sidewalk  she  cleared  her 


Comedy  and  Tragedy  in  Chinatown     135 

throat  several  times  and  then  said,  "  It's  like  dis — I 
haven't  got  no  home." 

"  Haven't  got  any  home ! "  cried  Richard,  in 
amazement.  "  Well,  where  do  you  sleep  ?  " 

"  In  a  stable,"  said  Katie,  blushing  a  deep  red. 
"  You  see  me  old  aunt  died,  and  I  sent  de  kids,  me 
one  brudder  an'  two  sisters,  to  an  institushin  last 
week.  I'll  get  'em  out  as  soon  as  I  get  work,  ye 
know,  an'  dey're  in  de  best  o'  spirits." 

"  Why,  Katie,  this  is  awful,"  said  Richard. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Katie,  trying  to  look  as  easy  as 
possible.  "  You  see,  Mr.  Masterson,  if  I  had  a  nice 
home  I'd  be  worryin'  about  de  kids,  an'  tinkin'  how 
dey'd  enjoy  dis  an'  dat  t'ing,  but,  bein'  as  der're  bet- 
ter off  dan  I,  I'm  just  glad  about  deyre  condition." 

"  Well,  that  is  philosophy,"  said  Richard,  looking 
admiringly  at  his  little  friend ;  "  but  you  are  not  go- 
ing to  sleep  in  any  stable  to-night,  for  I  am  going 
to  give  you  money  for  a  room  in  a  Christian  hotel 
after  you  have  a  good  meal  with  me." 

At  this  juncture  the  two  turned  into  the  brightly 
lighted  Bowery  at  the  corner  of  Doyers  Street,  and 
they  noticed  that  a  great  crowd  had  collected  on 
Chatham  Square,  and  that,  judging  by  the  excite- 
ment, something  terrible  had  happened. 

"  It's  a  seaside,"  said  Katie.  "  He's  kilt  hisself," 
and  just  then  Richard  noticed  that  John  and  Mrs. 


136  Souls  in  Pawn 

de  Rutyer  were  kneeling  beside  a  man,  and  that 
blood  was  flowing  from  his  left  temple  and  a  re- 
volver was  clutched  in  his  right  hand. 

"  Oh,  he's  only  a  crook,"  said  a  policeman  com- 
ing up.  "  That's  Jersey  Bill.  I  guess  he  couldn't 
do  any  more  jobs,  so  he  done  himself  up.  He's  an' 
old  '  con ' — here,  get  outer  the  way  there  till  the 
ambulance  picks  it  up." 

"  Do  what  you  can  for  him,  and  I  will  be  respon- 
sible for  any  amount  of  money  necessary,"  said  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer  to  the  ambulance  surgeon,  and  she 
handed  him  her  card  as  Richard  made  his  way  to 
John's  side. 

The  policeman  looked  a  little  abashed,  and  the 
young  surgeon  bowed  gravely,  and  the  ambulance 
dashed  off  toward  Bellevue  Hospital. 

The  calm,  cool  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  was  nearly  hysteri- 
cal, and  when  she  was  introduced  to  Richard,  whom 
John  termed  "  a  new  inhabitant  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,"  she  thought  of  that  other  poor  outcast  she 
had  just  seen  borne  away  to  his  death-bed,  Christ- 
less  and  friendless,  and  she  broke  into  a  fit  of  weep- 
ing so  uncontrollable  that  John  and  Richard  in- 
sisted upon  her  going  to  the  little  dingy  drug-store 
between  Doyers  and  Pell  Streets,  and  getting  some- 
thing for  her  nerves  from  the  shabby-looking  clerk 
who  dispensed  "  real  fruit  syrups  "  to  customers. 


Comedy  and  Tragedy  in  Chinatown     137 

After  she  had  grown  calm,  John  suggested  that  they 
all  go  around  to  the  Chinese  restaurant  on  Pell 
Street  and  have  some  tea  and  a  talk.  Katie  clung 
to  Richard,  and  he  patted  her  hand  gently  as  they 
walked  along  the  streets,  where  the  very  odor  of 
sin  seemed  to  fill  the  place. 

In  the  Chinese  tea-rooms,  which  were  reached  by 
climbing  two  flights  of  dirty  stairs,  were  girls  of  the 
street,  with  their  painted  faces  and  gaudy  dresses, 
and  roughs  from  the  Bowery,  who  glowered  under 
rakish-looking  hats  at  the  visitors.  There  were  a 
few  club-men  from  up-town  with  a  couple  of  fashion- 
ably dressed  women,  who  formed  a  slumming  party, 
and  felt  it  was  all  extremely  interesting,  and  laughed 
as  they  made  a  pretence  of  eating  "  chop  sui "  with 
their  chop-sticks.  To  them  those  wretched  girls 
over  there  at  the  other  tables  were  only  "  types  " 
and  "  cases,"  and  the  miserable  old  hags  huddling 
in  the  hall  downstairs,  as  well  as  the  blear-eyed 
young  men,  were  a  part  of  the  show  they  had  come 
to  see,  and  they  felt  that  they  would  miss  them 
indeed  did  they  disappear  before  the  carriage  came. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"CHOP  SUl"  AND  JEALOUSY 

"  WHO  is  this  little  girl  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  de  Rutyer, 
taking  Katie  by  the  hand. 

"  A  little  friend  of  mine,"  said  Richard,  who 
hoped  to  tell  the  story  of  her  friendlessness  to  the 
stately  lady  beside  him  at  an  opportune  moment, 
but  he  counted  without  the  president  of  the  Finne- 
gan  Association,  who  did  not  believe  in  any  false 
delicacy  or  any  beating  about  the  bushes. 

"  I  hain't  got  me  room  rent,  so  me  landlady  tol' 
me  to  move  to  de  Waldorf,"  said  Katie,  with  a  curi- 
ous sort  of  a  dry  laugh ;  "  an'  dis  gent  was  'bout 
gettin'  me  somethin'  t'eat  an'  jollyin'  me  'long,  an' 
makin'  me  feel  good  wid  stories  of  havin'  a  place 
to  have  me  nightmares  in  to-night,  when  we  met 
yez." 

Mrs.  de  Rutyer  took  up  her  lorgnette  and  levelled 
it  at  Katie,  and  then  surveyed  Richard. 

"  Chop  sui  for  four,"  said  a  big,  fat  Chinaman 
at  her  elbow,  whose  pigtail  was  adorned  with  black, 
rich-looking  ribbons,  and  whose  arms  were  loaded 
138 


"Chop  Sui"  and  Jealousy  139 

with  the  favorite  Chinese  hash,  several  bowls  of  rice, 
and  a  big  tin-pot  of  tea.  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  now 
turned  her  lorgnette  on  him,  and  watched  him  care- 
fully wash  the  cups  and  as  carefully  throw  the  water 
on  the  floor,  after  which  he  chattered  something  to 
a  little  Mongolian  who  wore  an  elaborate  psyche- 
knot  and  a  flowered  blouse. 

Presently  one  of  the  painted  girls  at  a  near-by 
table  said  to  her  companion  in  an  audible  voice, 
"  Look  at  that  kid  wid  the  swells.  She  hain't  got 
no  friend ;  her  old  aunt  died  d'odder  day." 

Katie  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  and  then  said 
loudly  and  clearly :  "  Dis  kid  has  a  friend,  an'  His 
name  is  Jesus.  She  asked  Him  fur  a  bed  and  some 
grub,  and  both  is  purvided.  Say,"  going  over  to 

e  table  and  laying  her  hands  on  the  girl's  shoul- 

rs,  "  won't  you  ask  Jesus  to  do  the  same  for  you 
w'at  He's  done  for  me  ?  " 

"  You !  Me !  "  cried  the  girl,  in  a  loud,  laughing 
voice.  "  Why,  you're  only  a  poor,  innocent  kid. 
I'm  a  devil." 

"  How  interesting !  "  cried  the  club-men  and  the 
society  women  who  were  looking  for  a  scene,  but 
the  two  girls  left  the  restaurant  after  passing  audible 
remarks  about  "  guys  "  and  "  nannies  "  and  "  high- 
toned  monkeys,"  and  Katie  returned  to  the  table  to 
eat  her  "  chop  sui "  and  submit  to  the  continual 
pressure  of  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  hand. 


140  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  You  will  come  home  with  me  to-night,  dear," 
she  said. 

"  Will  I  ?  "  gasped  the  president  of  the  Finnegan 
Association.  "  Well,"  looking  at  Mrs.  de  Rutyer, 
"yer  a  swell  sure  enough  an'  nearly  as  nice  as  a 
wax  figure,  but  I  asked  Him  to-day  for  a  bed,  and 
I  guess  He  made  up  His  mind  to  gimme  a  good 
one.  Ah,  I  tell  ye  [this  to  Richard]  He's  good. 
Don't  I  wish  I  could  kiss  de  ground  He  walks  on." 

"  Oh,  how  the  poor  love  Him,"  said  Mrs.  de 
Rutyer,  and  John  winced  at  her  words.  Had  Kath- 
erine  been  there  he  knew  that  she  would  have  said 
nothing  to  make  Katie  feel  she  was  not  one  of  them, 
but  then  no  one  was  like  her,  he  assured  himself  as 
he  set  his  lips  tightly  together. 

"  Who  was  the  poor  fellow  in  Chatham  Square  ?  " 
asked  Richard,  turning  to  Mrs.  de  Rutyer. 

"  An  ex-convict,"  she  said,  sadly.  "  He  is  only 
but  of  Sing  Sing  Prison  a  month  or  so.  Miss 
Irving  and  I  met  him  at  the  mission  several  times, 
and  I  tried  to  talk  to  him  about  his  soul.  He  always 
laughed  at  my  efforts,  but,  strange  to  say,  he 
whispered  a  message  to  me  for  Miss  Irving  to-night 
after  we  found  him  lying  on  the  square.  '  Tell  her 
to  hunt  up  the  fellow  who  used  to  go  into  the  ser- 
vices with  me,'  he  said,  *  or  he  will  be  the  next  one ; 
and  tell  her  that  I  have  not  forgotten  her  sweet 


"Chop  Sui"  and  Jealousy  141 

words  of  hope,  but  they  came  too  late.'  I  asked 
him  if  he  would  like  to  see  her,  and  he  said,  '  Oh, 
yes,  so  much.  We  knew  she  always  meant  what 
she  said,  but  it  is  too  late  now.'  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  said  Richard,  in  an  abstracted 
sort  of  a  way.  "  Katherine  means  it.  It  is  not  a 
duty  with  her ;  she  loves  us." 

Mrs.  de  Rutyer  and  John  looked  at  him  in  amaze- 
ment, but  Katie  pressed  his  hand  and  said,  "  Dat's 
just  de  knocker,  Mr.  Masterson.  'Tain't  dat  Miss 
Irving  has  made  any  vows  to  God  to  hunt  us  up, 
but  dat  she  jest  can't  help  it.  She's  full  o'  love  for 
us,  just  like  Him.  Don't  shoot,  please,"  this  to  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer,  who  was  lifting  her  lorgnette  again. 

"  Dear  Katherine,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  smiling, 
between  her  words,  at  what  she  believed  to  be 
Katie's  ignorance  of  firearms.  Then,  as  she  helped 
herself  to  a  little  more  "  chop  sui,"  she  said,  turning 
to  Richard  in  her  frank,  queer  way :  "  You  know, 
Mr.  Pierce  and  Miss  Irving  have  been  sweethearts 
since  they  were  thirteen." 

"Indeed?"  said  Richard,  and  he  felt  that  his 
tongue  was  cleaving  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth.  John 
blushed  slightly,  and  both  men  looked  at  each  other. 

"  I  have  been  urging  Katherine  to  hasten  the 
happy  event,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  smiling  roguish- 
ly at  John,  for  whom  she  was  developing  a  warm 


142  Souls  in  Pawn 

affection,  "  but  she  says  you  will  have  to  stop  your 
practical  jokes  first;  so  I  advise  you  to  be  careful 
and  cultivate  sense." 

"  I  prefer  to  let  her  teach  me  how,"  said  John, 
smiling  and  blushing  like  a  school-girl;  and  then 
Richard  suddenly  remembered  an  up-town  engage- 
ment, and,  shaking  hands  with  his  friends,  bade 
them  good-night. 

"  Come  here  and  kiss  me,"  said  Katie,  standing 
on  her  tip-toes,  and  as  he  bent  to  comply  with  her 
request,  "  I'm  only  fourteen ;  but,  say,  I'm  fond  of 
you,  I  am.  God  bless  you." 

A  little  of  the  hardness  left  Richard's  face,  but  it 
appeared  again  when  he  reached  the  street,  and  it 
grew  and  grew  as  he  thought  deeply  of  what  John 
had  said.  He  swore  silent  oaths,  and  a  positively 
hideous  look  was  on  his  face  when  he  reached  the 
saloon  he  and  his  worthy  partner  owned. 

"  Give  me  a  bracer,  Ned,"  he  said,  and  in  a  few 
moments  he  had  gulped  down  five  brandies. 

"  Has  the  girl  given  you  the  go-by,  Richie  ? " 
asked  Ned,  looking  at  him. 

"  She  is  as  false  as  all  the  rest,"  said  Richard, 
bitterly,  in  his  anger  forgetting  his  ordinary  good 
sense  and  the  fact  that  he  had  no  right  to  be  angry 
over  anything.  For  the  time  being  he  had  forgot- 
ten, too,  what  a  thorough  rascal  he  was,  which  is 


"Chop  Sui"  and  Jealousy  143 

a  way  some  people  have  when  things  do  not  go 
pleasantly  with  them.  Let  their  plans  mature,  and 
they  sigh  that  theirs  is  not  a  better  cause;  but  let 
them  not  mature,  and  they  show  their  teeth. 

"  I  know  who  she  is,"  said  Ned  slyly.  "  Old 
Preacher  Irving's  daughter,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  supposing  it  is." 

"  Oh,  give  her  up  and  stick  to  yer  wife,  an'  look 
after  the  business,  Richie,"  said  Ned.  "  I  tell  you, 
women  are  boiling  water,  and  men  are  lobsters  for 
bothering  about  them." 

At  this  juncture  a  man  walked  in  from  the  bar, 
and,  when  Richard  turned  around  and  saw  the 
Christian  Merchant,  it  seemed  to  him  that  his.  blood 
became  cold. 

"  Wh — aa — t  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  cried  Richard, 
feebly. 

"  I  have  been  looking  for  you  for  some  time," 
said  the  merchant,  piously.  "  I  wanted  to  be  a  help 
to  you.  I  often  met  you  at  the  mission,  you  know." 

"  Does  she  know  I  keep  a  saloon  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  No,  nor  anything  else,"  said  the  merchant,  look- 
ing wise,  "  and  you  mustn't  think,  my  son,  that  you 
cannot  win  her  heart,  for  you  can ;  only,  of  course," 
with  an  upward  glance  at  the  ceiling,  "  you  must 
belong  to  the  Lord." 

Richard  congratulated  himself  that  the  merchant 


144  Souls  in  Pawn 

heard  nothing  about  his  wife,  for  he  had  not  yet 
learned  that  the  worthy  Brother  Grey  had  a  queer 
habit  of  hearing  nothing  he  did  not  want  to  remem- 
ber at  the  time.  Truth  to  tell,  Brother  Grey  heard 
the  whole  conversation,  as  he  had  furtively  entered 
the  place  a  few  moments  before  with  the  intention 
of  getting  some  brandy  to  raise  his  spirits.  As  he 
was  a  man  of  resources,  his  piety  came  to  the  rescue, 
and  when  he  heard  Katherine's  name  mentioned  he 
changed  his  order  of  brandy  to  one  of  sarsaparilla, 
over  which  he  sighed  and  concocted  his  statement 
of  seeking  for  Richard. 

"  But  she  is  to  marry  that  praying  Pierce,  isn't 
she  ?  "  asked  Richard,  hotly. 

"  Be  calm,  my  son,  and  do  not  talk  lightly  about 
prayer,"  said  the  Christian  Merchant,  softly. 
"  Miss  Irving  does  not  care  a  bit  for  him.  You 
ought  to  know  that  she  cares  for  you." 

"  Oh,  so  it  seemed,"  cried  Richard,  laying  his 
head  on  the  table.  "  She  does  not  know  I  love  her, 
though.  I  have  told  her  how  much  I  liked  to  be 
with  her,  and  she  seemed  to  be  glad  to  have  me  near 
her." 

This  was  all  said  in  a  reminiscent  way,  but  the 
Christian  Merchant  was  listening  to  every  word 
with  avidity,  and  barely  succeeded  in  hiding  his 
smiles  by  gravely  brushing  his  face  with  his  hands. 


"Chop  Sui"  and  Jealousy  145 

A  whispered  conversation  ensued,  and  when  it  was 
over,  the  Christian  merchant  and  the  saloon-keeper 
shook  hands  warmly  and  parted. 

"The  old  fool  thinks  he  will  save  my  soul  by 
getting  me  the  girl,"  laughed  Richard,  as  he  went 
to  bed. 

"  When  Miss  Irving  goes  to  expose  me  I  think 
she  will  find  that  her  friend  the  enemy  can  play  at 
that  game,  too,"  said  the  Christian  Merchant  to 
himself  as  he  rode  home,  and  then  he  muttered  with 
an  ugly  grin,  "  A  fine  missionary  that — in  love  with 
a  married  man  who  deals  in  rum." 


10 


CHAPTER  XVII 


IT  was  after  Katherine  had  returned  from  the  little 
post-office,  where  she  had  been  to  post  letters  to 
her  father  and  John,  that  she  saw  Richard  Master- 
son  making  his  way  toward  her. 

"  You  here  ?  "  she  cried  in  amazement,  looking  up 
to  him. 

"  And  you  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  with  a  surprised  look 
on  his  face  that  seemed  as  genuine  as  her  own. 
Then  explanations  followed,  during  which  Richard 
explained  that  he  had  been  to  Poughkeepsie  to  see 
a  friend,  and  took  a  notion  to  spend  the  night  in 
some  quiet  little  wayside  village,  where  he  could 
think  and  be  at  rest. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  stopped  off  here,"  said  Kath- 
erine, and  there  was  genuine  pleasure  in  her  voice. 
"  It  is  such  a  restful  spot  for  the  heart  to  meet  God 
in.  Alice — I  mean  Miss  Masland — and  I  were 
thinking  of  going  for  a  bicycle  ride,  the  day  is  so 
beautiful." 

Richard  pretended  not  to  notice  the  name,  but  he 
146 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     147 

turned  to  her  with  a  look  of  pleading  on  his  face 
and  said,  "  Come  with  me  for  a  walk  instead.  I 
want  to  know  so  much,  and  I  have  so  much  to  fight 
against.  I  came  here  to  fight  it,  for  it  is  threaten- 
ing to  crush  me.  Do  come  and  talk  to  me.  I 
dread  being  alone  with  my  doubts  and  fears  any 
longer." 

"  But  she  will  be  waiting  for  me,"  remonstrated 
Katherine  in  a  hesitating  way.  Her  real  hesitancy 
was  caused  by  the  question  arising  in  her  mind 
whether  she  ought  to  forget  conventional  rules  in 
remembering  the  need  of  an  immortal  soul.  He 
said  he  wanted  her  spiritual  help,  and  surely  that 
ought  to  be  enough,  she  told  herself. 

Richard  broke  her  train  of  thought  by  saying: 
"  Your  friend  is  good  and  she  is  safe,  while  I  feel 
as  if  I  dare  not  face  the  world  and  its  temptations 
any  longer.  Oh,  Miss  Irving,  you  do  not  know 
what  it  means  to  a  man  like  me  to  become  a 
Christian." 

"  Perhaps  I  do  not,  Mr.  Masterson,"  said  Kath- 
erine, "  but  I  know  God,  and  I  know  that  He  is  able 
to  save  to  the  uttermost.  Supposing  you  come  up 
to  the  house  and  have  a  pleasant  talk  with  Mr. 
Roberts,  and  then  you  and  I  can  ask  God  to  help 
and  bless  you." 

"  No !  No !  "  cried  Richard.    "  I  do  not  care  to 


148  Souls  in  Pawn 

meet  strangers.  I  came  here  for  quiet  and  rest  and 
communion  with  God.  When  I  saw  you  I  thought 
that  possibly  you  would  care  to  help  me,  but,  after 
all,  I  suppose  you  have  to  abide  by  Mrs.  Grundy's 
advice,  even  if  you  have  renounced  the  world,  the 
flesh,  and  the  devil." 

"Are  you  sure  I  can  help  you  spiritually,  Mr. 
Masterson.  If  you  are,  I  will  have  no  scruples 
about  Mrs.  Grundy." 

"  You  have  it  in  your  power  to  help  me  to-day," 
he  answered  her,  "  unless,  indeed,  you  cannot  trust 
me.  Is  it  that,  Miss  Irving — do  you  trust  me  ?  " 

She  looked  into  his  eyes  for  a  moment,  and  then 
said :  "  Of  course  I  do ;  you  belong  to  God." 

Richard  wished  then  that  he  had  not  asked  the 
question,  and  a  loathing  of  himself  and  the  Christian 
Merchant,  and  fate  in  general  overcame  him;  but, 
when  Katherine  pointed  to  a  little  street  that  led 
out  into  a  wide  country  road  and  said,  "  Let  us  go 
that  way  for  a  short  walk,"  he  turned  and  went  with 
her,  a  look  of  triumph  on  his  face. 

It  was  a  beautiful  summer  day,  and,  as  the  two 
walked  slowly  along  between  glimpses  of  field  and 
stream  and  meadow  toward  Wappinger's  Falls,  both 
of  their  hearts  grew  glad,  and  in  one  there  was  a 
great  song  of  praise  going  up  to  God,  because  there 
were  beautiful  spots  and  true  hearts  in  the  world. 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     149 

John  Pierce's  face  was  seen  by  one  of  the  walkers 
in  many  a  wayside  flower  and  stray  sunbeam  that 
day.  Richard  asked  Katherine  many  questions, 
and  they  talked  about  God  and  His  world  for  several 
minutes,  and  then  they  came  to  a  steep  hill,  at  which 
Katherine  looked  askance  and  then  stood  still. 

"  Let  us  rest  here,"  said  Richard.  "  It  is  an  in- 
viting spot."  Katherine  concluded  it  was,  too,  so 
they  chose  the  shady  side  of  the  road,  which  was 
carpeted  with  soft,  velvety  moss.  Richard  found 
two  stones  and  placed  them  near  the  road  fence,  and 
then  he  drew  a  newspaper  from  his  pocket  and  cov- 
ered the  one  Katherine  was  to  sit  on,  and  she  joked 
in  a  light-hearted  way  about  his  care  of  her,  telling 
him  that  the  devotion  of  those  she  led  to  Christ  was 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  things  of  her  life." 

"  I  wish  I  might  care  for  you  forever,  darling,"  he 
said,  suddenly  and  with  great  vehemence,  and  then 
he  noticed  that  Katherine  was  looking  at  him  with 
a  surprised,  grieved  look  in  her  eyes,  from  which  all 
the  glad  light  of  a  moment  before  had  fled. 

"  I  love  you ;  my  queen  among  women,  I  love  you, 
and  have,  ever  since  I  first  saw  you,"  he  cried,  look- 
ing at  her  with  all  the  longings  of  his  heart  in  his 
face. 

She  looked  up  at  him  as  if  she  was  not  quite  sure 
of  what  he  said,  and  then  said  slowly :  "  I  am  dis- 


150  Souls  in  Pawn 

appointed  in  you.  I  thought  you  understood  why 
I  came  here  with  you  to-day ;  what  have  I  done  to 
cause  you  to  speak  to  me  in  this  way  ?  " 

"  Is  my  love,  then,  an  insult  to  you  ?  Is  it  noth- 
ing to  you  that  you  have  won  my " 

"  Mr.  Masterson,  I  refuse  to  listen." 

"  Do  not  say  that,  Katherine,"  he  cried,  and  then 
she  stood  up  before  he  could  say  any  more,  and, 
looking  him  calmly  in  the  face,  said :  "  I  am  Miss 
Irving,  sir.  I  will  not  allow  you  to  talk  to  me  in 
this  way." 

"  Is  it  because  you  are  promised  to  Pierce  ?  "  he 
asked,  almost  fiercely. 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  calm,  stern  look  he  had 
never  before  seen  on  her  face,  and  said  in  a  voice 
that  chilled  him :  "  Mr.  Masterson !  " 

"  But  you  are  engaged  to  him — tell  me,  Kath- 
erine, are  you  or  are  you  not  ?  "  he  asked,  braving  a 
look  that  only  his  mad  love  could  be  blind  to. 

She  looked  at  him,  and  again  he  noticed  that 
where  the  twinkle  of  mirth  or  softness  of  light  usu- 
ally was,  there  was  a  something  he  could  not  under- 
stand. For  a  few  seconds  he  returned  the  gaze,  and 
then  the  weaker  quailed  before  the  stronger,  and  he 
hung  his  head  and  said  piteously,  "  Oh,  my  darling, 
I  love  you,  and  I  cannot  help  it." 

"  No  Christian  should  ever  give  that  as  an  ex- 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     151 

cuse,"  she  said  in  a  gentle,  though  firm,  voice,  and 
then  she  turned  to  him  suddenly  and  said,  "  Who 
are  you,  Mr.  Masterson?  Are  you  married  or 
single?  What  is  your  trade  or  profession?  How 
has  your  past  life  been  spent  ?  " 

"  I — I — don't  understand,"  gasped  Richard,  and 
his  guilty  past  and  present  all  loomed  up  before  him 
in  an  instant.  She  looked  at  him  for  a  second,  and 
then  said  in  the  straightforward,  simple  way  she 
always  spoke  of  things,  "  You  have  told  me  nothing 
about  yourself.  I  trusted  you  and  came  on  this 
walk  with  you  because  a  man  made  new  by  Christ 
is  a  gentleman,  no  matter  what  the  past  has  been. 
I  believe  in  you  because  I  believe  in  Him." 

"  She  knows  nothing  about  me,  that  is  so,"  said 
Richard,  breathing  a  little  more  freely  and  looking 
a  little  happier  as  the  thought  occurred  to  him  that, 
after  all,  this  may  be  the  reason  why  she  refused  to 
listen  to  him.  "  Of  course,  you  can  trust  me,"  he 
said,  and  then  added,  "  I  am  a  broker  in " 

She  interrupted  him  with  a  wave  of  her  hand  and 
said,  "  I  was  not  inviting  confidence ;  I  never  do 
that." 

"  Will  you  be  my  friend  still  ?  "  he  asked,  looking 
at  her. 

"  Certainly  I  will,"  she  said.  "  I  am  the  friend  of 
every  child  of  God,  of  every  sinner,  of  everyone  who 
needs  me," 


152  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  such  a  friend  I  do  not  want,"  said  Richard, 
angrily. 

"  I  never  tell  people  I  care  for  them  only  for 
Christ's  sake  unless  their  actions  make  it  necessary," 
said  Katherine,  slowly.  "  Yours  have  done  so  to- 
day. However,  do  not  think  that  the  love  of  Christ 
is  patronizing,  cold,  or  stereotyped — it  is  the  only 
pure,  unselfish  love  this  world  has  ever  known." 

"  Define  such  love,  please,"  said  Richard,  sneer- 
ingly. 

"  St.  Paul  has  done  it,"  she  answered.  "  It  suffer- 
eth  long  and  is  kind."  Then  she  paused,  and  said 
firmly,  "  I  have  long  since  stopped  looking  at  things 
as  the  generality  of  people  do,  and  have  a  strange 
custom  of  analyzing  them  for  myself.  Poets  and 
painters  may  glorify  the  grand  passion;  but,  when 
we  look  at  it  from  an  ethical  and  general  point  of 
view,  what  do  we  see  ?  Simply  this.  Here  is  a  man, 
there  a  woman,  who  would  do  a  thousand  noble 
or  ignoble  things  to  win  for  themselves  that  which 
they  seek,  and  which  they  believe  to  be  requisite  to 
their  own  happiness.  Of  course,  it  is  not  always  so. 
I  am  glad  that  it  is  not." 

"  You  always  speak  the  truth,  and  you  do  not 
dissemble,"  said  Richard.  Then,  catching  the  light 
from  her  eyes — light  that  a  thought  of  John  Pierce 
brought  there — he  said,  seizing  her  hands  and  bend- 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     153 

ing  over  until  his  face  nearly  touched  hers :  "  Dar- 
ling, I  would  be  willing  to  die  for  you.  It  is  wrong, 
I  suppose ;  but  I  never  could  give  you  up  to  another. 
Oh,  why  did  I  ever  meet  you,  if  it  were  not  that " 

He  sees  her  face,  and  stops.  The  look  there 
would  awe  a  braver  man.  Just  then  a  buggy  drove 
by  in  which  two  men,  heavily  coated  and  with  hats 
pulled  down  over  their  eyes,  passed.  Richard 
noticed  that  one  had  a  camera  in  his  hand,  and  he 
looked  a  little  curiously  at  them,  but  Katherine  paid 
no  attention  at  all  to  the  vehicle  or  its  occupants. 

"  I  shall  return  at  once,"  she  said,  with  cold  de- 
cision. "  I  think  you  will  admit  that  I  have  proved 
my  case.  I  am  sorry  that  you  took  advantage  of 
my  trust  in  you,  to  talk  to  me  the  way  you  have. 
I  am  disappointed  in  you,  and,"  with  the  frankness 
with  which  she  always  spoke,  "  I  do  not  believe  in 
your  love.  Noble,  true  love  is  always  noble  and 
honorable.  Whatever  love  you  offered  me  would 
be  refused,  but  this  cowardly  method  is  intolerable." 

"  Well,  I  do  not  pretend  to  have  any  of  the  heroic 
in  me,  Miss  Irving." 

"  Any  man  who  is  in  Christ  is  a  new  creation,"  she 
said,  in  an  aggrieved  voice.  "  I  am  expecting  noth- 
ing of  you,  independent  of  your  Saviour." 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense ! "  he  said  fiercely,  and,  as 
Katherine  looked  at  him  with  her  clear,  soul-search- 


154  Souls  in  Pawn 

ing  eyes,  a  horrible  suspicion  about  his  conversion 
crossed  her  mind ;  but  she,  who  was  full  of  faith  for 
everybody,  and  who  never  wronged  anyone  because 
of  an  unkind  surmise,  turned  aside  for  a  moment 
and  then  said,  with  a  sweet  smile,  "  I  am  sorry,  but 
I  see  now  that  I  am  not  the  one  to  help  you.  Let 
us  go  back  to  the  village." 

"  Let  me  accompany  you,  Miss  Irving ;  I  shall  of- 
fend no  more  ?  "  he  asked,  and,  quiet  as  a  lamb  and 
as  subdued  as  a  pettish  child  who  runs  to  its  mother's 
arms  after  a  fit  of  ill-temper,  Richard  walked  on 
beside  her,  his  head  hanging  wearily  over  his  chest. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  mother-love  ?  "  he 
said,  breaking  the  painful  silence  when  they  had 
walked  some  distance.  He  scarcely  dared  to  speak, 
but  he  felt  he  had  to  hear  her  voice  again. 

"  That  which  really  deserves  the  name  is  the  most 
beautiful  gift  of  God,  the  most  charming  crown  of 
a  woman's  glory,"  said  Katherine,  after  a  short 
pause,  "  but,  alas,  there  is  very  little  of  it." 

"  Little  of  it !  "  echoed  Richard.  "  Does  not  the 
average  mother  love  her  child  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Katherine,  "until  the  child  does 
something  that  displeases  or  perhaps  disgraces  her, 
and  then  father  and  mother  storm  and  fret,  and  talk 
about  their  gray  hairs  being  brought  to  dishonor, 
and  as,  in  the  case  of  the  lovers'  love,  the  child  is  the 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     155 

last  one  thought  of.  As  long  as  the  child  has  beauty 
or  talent  or  goodness,  or  as  long  as  she  is  obedient, 
there  is  a  great  display  of  mother-love;  and  it  is 
genuine,  mind  you,  too;  but  let  these  graces  dis- 
appear, and,  though  pity  may  succeed  anger  in  the 
mother's  heart,  that  early  love  never  returns,  for  her 
ambitions  and  hopes  have  been  disappointed,  and 
the  loveliness  she  admired  is  gone,  leaving  only  her 
child." 

"  How  clever  you  are,"  said  Richard,  looking  at 
her  admiringly.  "  I  did  not  know  any  woman 
thought  as  much  as  you  do.  You  have  nearly  con- 
verted me  to  the  cause  of  woman  suffrage." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Katherine,  smiling  at  his  sug- 
gestion, "  there  are  true  mothers  here  and  there,  and 
there  are,  too,  many  old  maids  whose  hearts  and 
homes  ought  to  be  filled  with  the  little  babies  whom 
clumsy,  ignorant  wives  are  beating  with  sticks  and 
defiling  with  examples  of  coarse  and  brutal  living. 
God  does  not  agree  with  the  census-takers'  defini- 
tion of  mother." 

"  I  agree  with  you  there,"  said  Richard,  and,  as 
he  said  it,  the  buggy  with  the  muffled  men  passed 
by  them  again  and  drove  rapidly  toward  the  village. 
Then  Richard  remembered  the  attempted  suicide  in 
Chatham  Square,  and  told  Katherine  about  it. 

"  Poor  boy,  I  remember  him  well,"  she  said,  and 


156  Souls  in  Pawn 

a  great  heaviness  came  over  her  heart  as  she  said 
it.  "  Oh,  what  unhappiness  and  sin  and  sadness 
there  is  in  the  world ;  how  hearts  are  breaking,  and 
men  hounded  to  death  by  the  dogs  of  Satan,"  she 
thought,  and  the  holy  longing  that  had  been  filling 
her  heart  ever  since  she  was  sixteen  spoke  with  a 
new  voice,  as  the  face  of  the  man  who  had  wandered 
into  the  mission  so  often  rose  before  her. 

"  I  will  go  to  New  York  in  a  few  hours,"  she  said, 
suddenly,  turning  to  Richard.  "  If  he  is  alive  I  may 
be  able  to  help  him ;  if  not,  I  will  return  in  the  morn- 
ing. Oh,  Mr.  Masterson,"  turning  to  him  suddenly 
as  they  came  to  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  "  when 
are  you  coming  to  stand  as  a  hero  in  the  fight  for 
God  ?  I  am  sure  you  could  win  many  souls  for  Him, 
for,  though  you  are  a  little  vain,  you  are  not  fanatical 
or  possessed  of  any  of  the  little  prejudices  so  many 
men  of  your  age  are.  You  need  experience  and 
teaching  and  grace.  That  is  all.  I  will  forget  all 
you  have  said  to-day,  but  my  dear  father  and  Mr. 
Pierce  must  be  your  spiritual  guides  in  the  future. 
You  will  always  be  remembered  kindly  by  me  as 
God's  dear  child ;  and,  some  day,  you  will  see  the 
wisdom  of  a  course  you  might  be  tempted  to  rebel 
against  now.  Of  course,"  this  very  quietly,  "  you 
have  offended  me,  but  I  am  quite  willing  to  forgive 
it  all." 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     157 

Richard  felt  unable  to  give  vent  to  the  bitterness 
in  his  heart.  Her  earnest  enthusiasm  subdued  him, 
and  he  felt  a  little  bit  ashamed  and  a  little  bit  guilty. 
They  both  stood  still  for  a  moment,  and  then  Kath- 
erine  said  good-by  to  him,  and  left  him  standing 
there.  A  few  moments  later  she  returned,  and, 
shaking  his  hand,  said,  "  God  keep  you,  Mr.  Mas- 
terson,  and  lead  you  into  the  light  of  His  own  day." 

He  set  his  teeth  firmly  together.  She  looked  pity- 
ingly at  him  for  a  few  moments,  and  then,  with  head 
erect  and  her  eyes  looking  into  his,  she  said,  "  I  am 
your  friend  always — do  remember  that." 

"  My  friend  ?  "  he  said,  laughing  dryly.  "  Yes,  I 
will  try  to." 

"  When  do  you  return  to  New  York  ?  "  she  asked, 
lingering  for  a  moment,  for  she  saw  he  was  hurt, 
and  her  tender  heart  regretted  that;  though  she 
would  unsay  nothing  she  had  said. 

"  When  you  do,  if  you  wish  it,"  he  answered, 
eagerly. 

"  I  do  not  wish  it,  nor  would  I  like  it  at  all,"  she 
said  with  decision,  so  he  lifted  his  hat  and  walked 
away  rapidly. 

Alice  was  sitting  on  the  piazza,  of  Mrs.  Roberts's 
house  and  looking  thoughtfully  out  into  the  village 
street  when  Katherine  ran  up  to  her,  and,  in  the 
playful  way  she  assumed  with  those  of  whom  she 


158  Souls  in  Pawn 

was  fond,  commenced  to  ruffle  her  hair  and  chide 
her  with  dreaming  "  without  a  nightie  on." 

"  But  I  am  not  dreaming,  dear.  I  am  thinking 
of  very  practical  things,"  said  Alice.  "  I  am  going 
to  be  a  great  cook." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Katherine,  sinking  into  a  chair  near 
by.  "  I  thought  a  great  orator  or  a  painter,  you  said 
it  with  such  impressiveness." 

"  And  I  will  be  both,"  said  Alice.  "  My  biscuits 
will  speak  a  new  gospel  of  health  and  my  soups  and 
broths  will  paint  cheeks  a  rosy  red." 

"  My !  what  a  command  of  language  you're  get- 
ting, Alice !  "  said  Katherine,  laughing.  "  Have 
you  been  practising  all  that  to  say  as  soon  as  I 
arrived  ?  " 

"  You  were  my  inspiration,"  said  Alice,  catching 
her  friend's  humor,  and  then,  with  great  seriousness 
she  added,  "  I  have  always  been  bothered  very  much 
because  of  a  lack  of  the  power  of  expression,  which 
I  am  painfully  conscious  of.  I  have  no  command 
of  language  whatever." 

Katherine  looked  at  her  ruefully,  and,  noting  the 
gloomy,  thoughtful  air  she  wore,  said,  slowly, 
"  Alice,  have  you  ever  tried  stepping  on  a  tack,  or 
falling  off  a  bicycle  near  to  a  red  bull  ?  " 

"  Adventures  like  these  always  make  me  speech- 
less," said  Alice,  and  then  they  both  laughed 
heartily. 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     159 

"  Do  you  know,  dear  Miss  Irving,  that  it  is  these 
natural,  happy  tricks  of  yours  that  make  me  feel  so 
much  at  home  with  you,"  said  Alice,  impressively. 
"  If  you  were  forever  praying  with  me,  and  making 
careful  little  speeches,  and  fearful  of  letting  me  see 
your  real,  true  self,  I  would  be  forever  conscious  of 
the  gulf  that  lies  between  us." 

"  That  is  a  fine  speech,  Alice,  and  I  am  sorry  to 
interrupt  you,"  said  Katherine,  "  because  you  are 
so  eloquent  that  you  contradict  all  of  your  previous 
statements,  but  I  must  not  let  you  say  that  which 
is  not  true.  You  cannot  be  conscious  of  what  does 
not  exist.  There  is  no  gulf  between  me  and  my 
dear  sister,  and  if  there  ever  was,  He,  together  with 
our  mutual  affection,  has  bridged  it  over." 

"  Tell  me  how  to  love  you  truly,  how  to  be  more 
worthy  of  you,"  said  Alice,  looking  up  into  her 
friend's  eyes  with  the  light  of  an  idealist  and  a  hero- 
worshipper  shining  in  her  own. 

Katherine  drew  her  hand  within  her  own  little 
one,  and,  with  the  look  of  warmth  and  affection  that 
won  her  so  many  hearts,  said :  "  Alice,  dear,  you  love 
me  truly  now.  You  know,  when  two  little  chickens 
want  to  be  together  and  comfortable,  they  cuddle 
under  their  mother's  wings,  and  the  closer  they  get 
to  her  the  closer  they  get  to  each  other.  Let  it  be 
so  with  us  and  Christ.  Each  time  you  draw  nearer 
to  Him  you  are  nearer  to  me." 


160  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  That  is  a  beautiful  thought,"  said  Alice,  slowly. 

"  Now  tell  me  about  your  culinary  ambitions, 
Alice,"  said  Katherine,  who  always  combined  the 
ideal  and  the  real,  "  because  when  you  have  won 
fame  I  want  to  be  prepared  to  see  in  The  Ladies' 
Hearthstone  all  about  Alice  Masland's  famous 
recipes  for  grizzled  bear  and  catnip-tea." 

"  I  am  not  an  orator,  nor  have  I  the  wonderful 
grace  of  soul  and  body  that  you  have,  Miss  Irving ; 
but  I  want  to  be  useful,  and  I  believe  that  a  great 
deal  of  domestic  unhappiness,  as  well  as  the  wretch- 
edness of  working  men  and  women,  is  caused  by 
poorly  cooked  food.  Mrs.  Roberts  agrees  with  me, 
and  she,  who  has  made  her  housekeeping  a  science, 
is  going  to  teach  me." 

"And  then,  Alice?" 

"  Then  I  hope  to  return  to  New  York  and  impart 
my  information  to  those  who  need  it." 

"  And  it  will  be  a  splendid  article  of  religion," 
said  Katherine,  her  face  lighting  up  with  pleasure. 
"  I  always  knew  I  would  be  proud  of  my  Alice  yet." 

"  And  you  will  some  day,"  said  Alice,  in  a  whisper. 

Mrs.  Roberts,  a  fine,  happy-looking,  genial 
woman  with  pale-blue  eyes  continually  bubbling 
with  smiles,  stepped  out  in  the  porch  at  this  junct- 
ure, and  then  Katherine  announced,  what  indeed 
she  had  almost  forgotten,  that  she  was  returning  to 


Richard  Makes  a  Confession  of  Love     161 

New  York.  This  caused  a  good  deal  of  protest, 
but,  when  she  explained  the  cause  of  her  decision, 
Alice  ran  to  pack  her  satchel,  and  Mrs.  Roberts  to 
make  a  few  sandwiches  and  gather  some  apples  to 
solace  the  traveller  on  her  journey. 

"  All  aboard  for  New  York,"  was  the  cry  that 
reached  their  ears,  as  the  three  women  arrived  at 
the  little  station. 

A  hasty  good-by  was  said,  and  then  the  train 
started.  As  it  did  so,  Alice  thought  she  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  Christian  Merchant's  face,  and  she 
felt  strangely  troubled  and  perplexed,  but  was  ex- 
ceedingly thankful  that  her  beloved  friend  was  not 
travelling  alone — God  was  with  her. 

Katherine  had  scarcely  seated  herself  when,  to  her 
dismay  and  very  evident  displeasure,  Richard  Mas- 
terson  came  up,  mumbling  an  apology  about  miss- 
ing the  earlier  train.  They  were  alone  in  the  car 
except  for  a  rheumatic-looking  old  gentleman  at 
the  other  end,  who  looked  angrily  at  the  new-comers 
for  disturbing  a  dream  he  commenced  at  Pough- 
keepsie. 

Richard  looked  at  him,  then  took  a  seat  beside 
Katherine,  and  looked  as  if  he  wished  the  old  man 
would  take  up  the  thread  of  his  dream-weaving 
again. 

ii 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
KATHERINE'S  EYES  ARE  OPENED  AND  JOHN  is 

OFFERED    A    WIFE 

WHEN  Richard  sat  near  the  woman  he  loved,  and 
felt  that  for  two  hours  they  would  sit  thus  side  by 
side,  a  great  and  unutterable  longing  to  win  her 
love  and  to  have  her  look  at  him  as  a  woman  does 
when  a  man  has  become  all  the  world  to  her,  took 
possession  of  him.  And  yet  his  conscience  asked 
him,  "  And  what  then  ?  "  But  he  dare  not  answer 
such  a  question ;  he  dare  not  even  think  of  it ;  for 
Richard  was  a  creature  of  impulse  rather  than  a 
studied  villain. 

"  Just  to  have  her  love  me,"  was  the  only  reason- 
able answer  he  could  give  to  all  the  "  ifs  "  that  his 
reason  would  bring  up,  and  to  his  impetuous  soul 
that  seemed  to  be  a  sufficient  one. 

For  five  minutes  there  was  absolute  silence  except 
for  the  snoring  of  the  rheumatic  gentleman  who  had 
returned  to  his  castles  in  the  air ;  and  then  Richard 
said,  suddenly,  in  a  fierce,  dogged  voice :  "  Will  you 
ever  love  me — tell  me  ?  I  waited  for  this  train  pur- 
162 


Katharine's  Eyes  Are  Opened        163 

posely  to  know.  I  could  not  go  away  from  the  place 
where  you  were." 

Katherine  turned  away  angrily  enough  now,  but 
Richard  was  too  blind  to  see  it,  and,  without  realiz- 
ing what  he  was  doing,  he  threw  his  arms  around 
her. 

"  I  did  not  think  you  were  a  coward,"  she  said, 
looking  calmly  at  him. 

"  I  am  not,  Katherine,"  he  cried,  "  but  I  love  you." 

"  You  are  weak  and  cowardly,"  she  answered,  and 
then  there  arose  within  her  a  physical  strength  that 
he  never  dreamed  and  she  scarcely  realized  she  was 
possessed  of,  and  she  threw  his  arms  from  around 
her  as  if  they  were  a  baby's.  When  she  was  free 
she  turned  to  him  and  said,  with  flashing  eyes  and 
set  determination : 

"  The  man  that  I  marry  must  be  pure  and  good ; 
he  must  respect  women,  and  be  able  to  bring  to  me 
a  life  that  is  fair  and  white.  If  he  has  wronged  any- 
one he  must  be  ready  to  right  it,  no  matter  what  the 
cost  may  be ;  and,  above  all,  he  must  have  conquered 
himself  through  Christ." 

As  she  finished,  she  turned  to  go,  and  came  face 
to  face  with  the  Christian  Merchant,  who  mockingly 
lifted  his  hat  and  passed  into  the  next  car,  without 
deigning  to  cast  a  glance  at  Richard,  who  was  sit- 
ting in  his  seat,  the  picture  of  anger  and  despair 
combined. 


164  Souls  in  Pawn 

Katherine  felt  pained  and  sad  when  she  took  her 
seat  in  an  adjoining  car.  She  felt  unhappy  about 
the  Christian  Merchant's  presence,  and  a  strange 
foreboding  of  evil  filled  her  heart. 

"  But  God  knows  and  He  will  vindicate  me,"  she 
assured  herself,  and  then  she  leaned  her  arm  against 
the  window  and  looked  out. 

The  beautiful  Hudson  never  looked  more  lovely. 
There  was  the  soft  flush  of  a  fair  summer  afternoon 
on  the  face  of  the  waters,  and  the  young  green  that 
clothed  the  mountain-side,  and  the  trees  that  cast 
their  shadows  over  the  warm  sunlight,  brought  to 
Katherine's  heart  a  message  of  peace  and  quiet. 
The  sleepy  Catskills  were  not  far  away,  and  in  the 
direction  in  which  the  train  was  speeding  were  the 
hills  that  guarded  West  Point,  and  farther  down 
and  on  the  sloping  bank  of  the  beautiful  river  was 
fair  Nyack,  nestling  in  the  valley  behind  which  the 
gray-wooded  land  rose  many  miles  above.  Little 
by  little  the  lovely  vista,  which  in  other  days  rocked 
the  cradle  of  song  and  story,  loomed  up  before  Kath- 
erine's vision.  Quiet  Peekskill,  with  its  country 
roads  and  hilly  streets ;  lovely  Sing  Sing,  where  men 
like  the  poor  fellow  in  Chatham  Square  were  suffer- 
ing the  penalty  of  wrong-doing,  and  where  the 
beautiful  hills  on  its  own  side  and  the  loftier  ones  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  coupled  with  the  majestic 


Katharine's  Eyes  Are  Opened        165 

grandeur  all  around  her,  caused  Katherine  to  say 
almost  aloud,  "  As  the  mountains  are  round  about 
Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is  round  about  them  that 
put  their  trust  in  Him." 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes.  Richard  was  not 
converted — of  that  she  was  sure  now,  for  no  man, 
she  told  herself,  made  new  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
would  act  as  he  had  done.  She  tried  to  pray  for 
him,  and  a  little  feeling  of  indignation  would  choke 
down  her  supplications.  No  woman  likes  to  be 
fooled,  and  the  thought  that  he  had  pretended  to  be 
converted  through  her,  and  that  she  had  rejoiced 
with  him  and  believed  in  him,  made  her  grievously 
disappointed.  And  then  the  deceit  of  it  all !  Her 
face  grew  hot,  and  the  human  nature  in  her  rose  to 
the  surface  for  an  instant. 

"  I  trusted  him,"  she  said  to  herself ;  "  I  believed 
he  was  honest  and  manly  and,  ugh !  How  could  he 
think  I  could  love  a  man  such  as  he  has  proved 
himself  to  be?" 

But  then  the  Christ  love,  the  mother-love  that 
^Catherine's  soul  was  filled  with,  fought  for  su- 
premacy and  won. 

"  Poor  boy,"  she  said.  "  Poor,  poor,  weak,  ig- 
norant boy.  He  thought  to  win  me  in  that  way — 
as  if  by  falsehood  or  by  transgressing  any  law  of 
God,  goodness  and  happiness  can  be  secured.  Ah, 


166  Souls  in  Pawn 

well,  he  knows  no  better;  perhaps  he  has  always 
lived  by  cunning  and  craftiness,  and  knows  no  other 
methods  to  use.  Oh,  when  will  poor  lost  ones  learn 
that  they  can  only  be  happy  when  they  are  in  their 
rightful  places  in  God's  plan?  Consider  the  lilies 
— they  grow  because  God  wants  them  to,  and  they 
attempt  nothing  else ;  the  plant,  the  bird,  the  beast 
of  the  field,  all  live  according  to  God's  natural  laws, 
and  in  accordance  with  His  will.  The  stars  and 
the  sun  and  moon  obey  the  law  of  their  Creator, 
but  the  little  human  planet  gets  away  from  the  great 
sun  of  its  attraction  and  jars  on  through  its  course, 
thinking  that  the  more  it  jars  the  happier  it  will  be. 
Sin  is  largely  the  vain  ignorance  that  plans  for  itself. 
When  the  children  of  God  learn  that  in  Him  they 
live  and  move  and  have  their  being,  true  culture  will 
come." 

While  Katherine  was  thus  philosophizing,  Rich- 
ard was  in  the  smoking  compartment,  whither  he 
had  gone,  swearing  to  his  heart's  content,  and  the 
Christian  Merchant  was  standing  beside  him  rub- 
bing his  hands  complacently. 

"  You  are  not  patient,  brother." 

"  Oh,  brother  be  hanged !  "  said  Richard.  "  She 
will  not  have  me." 

"  You  had  her  in  your  arms,"  said  the  good  mer- 
chant, looking  wisely  at  him. 


Katherine's  Eyes  Are  Opened        167 

"  Yes,  but  against  her  will." 

"  No  one  need  know  that,  though,"  said  Brother 
Grey,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  saw  it  and  can  testify  to 
the  truth.  I  think  your  visit  up  here  ought  to 
compel  her  to  marry  you." 

Richard  looked  at  the  Christian  Merchant  for  a 
moment,  and  then  he  moved  back  a  pace  or  two, 
and,  getting  behind  the  amiable  brother,  kicked  him 
out  of  the  car  before  anyone  had  time  to  interfere. 
The  look  on  Richard's  face  made  the  more  adven- 
turous remark  that  friends  should  not  be  interfered 
with,  and  one  man  smilingly  offered  Richard  a  bot- 
tle. As  he  was  about  to  drink  out  of  it,  his  man- 
hood came  to  the  surface,  and  he  handed  it  back, 
saying  pleasantly,  "Some  other  time,  old  boy;  I 
am  on  the  train  with  a  lady." 

It  was  about  an  hour  later  that  the  pleasant  words 
"  Grand  Central  Station  "  fell  on  Katherine's  ears, 
and  she  fairly  ran  from  the  car  and  called  a  cab,  into 
which  she  hastily  sprang,  after  directing  the  hack- 
man  to  drive  to  Bellevue  Hospital  as  quickly  as 
possible.  With  a  sigh  of  relief,  that  had  in  it  a  little 
of  pain,  she  lay  back  on  the  cushioned  seat  and  com- 
menced to  think,  and  her  thoughts  were  with  the 
jealous,  angry  man  who  followed  her  in  the  cab 
almost  immediately  behind. 

"  I  do  care  for  him,  but  he  does  not  understand, 


168  Souls  in  Pawn 

and  never  can  if  he  remains  in  his  present  condition," 
she  said,  sobbingly,  to  herself.  "  Of  course,  I  never 
would  marry  him.  Oh,  no;  it  is  not  that  kind  of 
love.  How  could  it  be  ?  I  think — I  should  like  to 
marry  John.  He  [here  there  was  a  great  pause] 
never  loved  another  woman.  He  is  brave  and  noble 
and — and — my  John — and  I  have  loved  him  for  a 
long  time." 

A  soft  blush  suffused  her  cheek  as  she  said  this, 
and,  glancing  out  the  window,  she  espied  the  last 
object  of  her  thoughts  getting  into  a  Forty-second 
Street  car. 

"  John,  John ! "  she  cried,  frantically,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  he  was  sitting  beside  her,  and  she,  feeling 
safe  and  happy  and  miserable  as  only  a  woman  can, 
permitted  herself  the  luxury  of  a  cry  that  disturbed 
and  pleased  the  happy  and  bewildered  man  who  was 
looking  at  her  with  his  soul's  longing  in  his  clear, 
gray  eyes.  It  disturbed  him  because  she  was  un- 
happy, and  it  pleased  him  because  she  was  spoiling 
his  beautiful  white  Ascot  tie  with  her  tears.  That 
white  tie  would  forever  more  be  precious  to  him. 

"  John,  I  had  a  proposal  to-day." 

"  Ah,"  said  John,  and  he  felt  that  his  collar  had 
grown  several  inches  too  small  for  him. 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  be  happy  and  better,  mar- 
ried, than — as — I — am  now  ?  "  she  asked,  a  trace  of 
coquetry  brightening  her  wet  eyes. 


Katharine's  Eyes  Are  Opened        169 

"  Perhaps,  girlie,  perhaps,"  said  John,  stroking 
his  hair. 

"  And  you,  John  ?  "  this  a  little  daringly. 

"  I  shall  be  happy,  Katherine,  if  you  are.  I  shall 
rejoice  with  you  in  all  your  joys,  for  I  love  you,  and 
we  are  both  members  of  the  body  of  Christ." 

"  And  you  have  loved  me  how  long,  John  ? " 

He  looked  at  her  a  little  surprised  and  said, 
"  Since  you  were  thirteen — no,  I  think  only  since 
to-day,  Katherine.  You  know  I  saw  you  first  on 
the  night  of  your  thirteenth  birthday." 

"  Yes,  and,  John,  what  a  howling  swell  you  were 
with  your  twenty-five  cent  diamond-pin  and  awe- 
imposing  evening  dress  borrowed  for  the  occasion ; 
but,"  with  one  of  her  rare,  wonderful  smiles,  "  thir- 
teen is  an  unlucky  number." 

"  And  yet  you  promised  to  marry  me  that  night, 
Katherine.  You  remember,  your  mother  was  talk- 
ing to  my  father  about " 

"  About  how  wilful  I  was,"  supplemented  Kath- 
erine. "  Poor  mamma !  One  of  the  griefs  of  my 
life  is  that  she  died  without  understanding  me.  My 
longing  for  my  little  sisters  in  the  slums  she  never, 
never  could  understand." 

"  But  she  knows  now,  girlie." 

"  Yes,  so  she  does — John,  you  are  such  a  comfort. 
How  nice  it  will  be  to  have  you  love  me  always  and 


170  Souls  in  Pawn 

ever,  and  oh,  John,"  creeping  closer  to  him,  "  to 
know  that  you  are  true  and  good." 

"  Yes,  Katherine,  I  will  always  be  your  true — 
friend,  and  I  want  to  be  the  same  to — to — the  man 
you  love." 

"  Kiss  me,  John." 

"  Be  careful,  darling ;  I  am  not  an  angel." 

"  No,  but  you  are  strong  and  brave  and  good,  and 
I  love  you  for  always,"  she  said,  simply. 

"  But  your  proposal." 

"  Yes,  John,  you  had  nearly  forgotten  that." 

Blank  silence  for  a  few  seconds  followed,  and  then 
this  from  John :  "  Darling,  let  me  tell  the  driver  to 
take  us  to  Central  Park  and  lose  us." 

"  No,  John,  we  are  going  to  Bellevue  Hospital," 
said  his  sweetheart,  with  a  new  and  soft  light  in  her 
eyes,  for  Katherine  Irving  never  forgot  her  mission 
of  love  in  seeking  her  own. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

HOW  AN  OUTCAST  DIED 

THEY  are  before  the  big,  cold-looking  structure 
on  Twenty-sixth  Street,  known  as  Bellevue  Hos- 
pital. A  boat  has  just  arrived  from  Blackwell's 
Island,  and  some  of  the  girls  who  were  imprisoned 
in  the  Workhouse  are  returning  to  what  they  call 
"  liberty  "  again,  but  to  what  Katherine  knows  in 
reality  to  be  the  greater  slavery  of  the  two.  Back 
to  the  Bowery,  back  to  Sixth  Avenue  to  walk  up 
and  down ;  or,  rather,  to  prowl  up  and  down  seeking 
for  depraved  men  to  help  them  to  continue  the 
building  of  hell  in  their  own  beings  and  in  the  be- 
ings of  others.  They  laugh  as  they  pass  Bellevue, 
for  they  see  the  saloons  near  by  and  know  that  they 
can  have  a  drink  now,  and  the  drink  will  give  them 
new  courage.  It  will  make  them  forget ;  it  will 
warm  them,  and  it  will  never  point  to  the  big  hos- 
pital and  say,  "  You  will  go  in  there  and  die  friend- 
less and  forgotten."  But  they  will. 

John  tells  the  cabman  to  wait  until  he  and  Kath- 
171 


172  Souls  in  Pawn 

erine  return ;  and  then  he  speaks  to  the  man  at  the 
gate,  and  they  enter. 

"  There  is  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  and — and — why,  it  is 
Katie  Finnegan,"  exclaims  Katherine,  and  as  they 
meet,  she  sees  that  both  have  been  crying. 

"  He  is  dead,"  says  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  sadly.  "  I 
have  had  the  body  sent  to  my  house.  Come  with 
me." 

"  Do  you  think  he  came  to  know  his  Saviour 
before  he  was  called  home  ? "  Katherine  asks, 
eagerly. 

"  I  think  he  did.  I  have  been  with  him  all  day, 
and  I  tried  to  show  him  the  way." 

When  they  reached  the  gate,  Katherine  saw  Rich- 
ard standing  across  the  street  looking  as  if  he  were 
the  very  incarnation  of  fiendishness,  and,  almost  un- 
consciously, she  moved  away  from  Mrs.  de  Rutyer 
and  took  hold  of  John's  hand.  When  they  entered 
the  carriage,  she  peeped  through  the  window  and 
saw  that  he  was  still  there,  and  that  there  was  a  look 
on  his  face  such  as  she  had  never  seen  on  it  or  on 
any  other.  The  big,  honest  eyes  were  glaring,  and 
even  the  stooping  attitude  the  man  assumed,  sug- 
gested'the  beast  of  prey  ready  to  spring  on  his  vic- 
tim ;  and  in  this,  the  body  was  merely  the  voice  of 
the  mind,  as  it  always  is,  for  Richard's  thoughts 
were  murderous.  None  of  the  others  saw  him,  so 


How  an  Outcast  Died  173 

Katherine  said  nothing,  and  scarcely  a  word  passed 
between  the  four  until  the  cab  again  drew  up,  this 
time  before  the  beautiful  home  of  Mrs.  de  Rutyer, 
on  Fifth  Avenue.  A  servitor  in  the  de  Rutyer  livery 
opened  the  door,  and  the  mistress  of  the  house  in- 
vited her  guests  into  her  beautiful  drawing-room, 
in  which  the  paintings  and  statuary  suggested  a 
semi-religious,  semi-worldly  household,  full  of 
beauty,  harmony,  and  quiet  rest. 

Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  husband  was  a  club-man  who 
'dabbled  in  politics,  in  plans  of  city  reform,  and  in 
aesthetic  religion.  He  smoked  a  little,  drank  a  lit- 
tle, went  to  the  race-course  a  little,  and  did  a  little 
good.  He  believed  in  doing  good,  he  said,  and  did 
not  object  to  his  wife  giving  money,  but  he  objected 
seriously  to  her  giving  herself,  and  laughed  at  her 
belief  that  a  sinful  man  or  woman  could  be  "  made 
new,"  as  she  was  fond  of  expressing  it.  He  was 
a  big,  lusty,  jolly-looking  man,  and  he  suffered  with 
the  gout.  He  had  a  military  goatee,  a  bald  head, 
a  high  forehead,  and  eyes  of  a  deep  black,  but  now, 
as  his  wife  entered,  one  could  note  nothing  except 
that  he  was  angry. 

"  Ellen,"  he  said,  sharply,  "  I  can  stand  a  good 
deal,  but  my  patience  is  nearly  exhausted.  What 
do  you  mean  by  sending  a  pauper  convict's  body 
here?" 


174  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  He  is  our  brother,  Walter,"  his  wife  answered. 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense !  "  I  say.  "  Was  the  rascal 
who  stole  my  watch  last  week  my  brother  also  ?  " 

Mrs.  de  Rutyer  looked  appealingly  at  Katherine, 
who  answered  him  with  a  tremor  in  her  voice  that 
told  how  hurt  she  was. 

"  Mr.  de  Rutyer,"  she  said,  "  what  is  the  differ- 
ence between  stealing  a  watch  and  a  piece  of  land  ? 
Your  ancestors  stole  the  land  you  own  from  weaker 
men;  men  weak  enough  to  believe  in  treaties. 
Your  hungry  brother  stole  your  watch  without 
breaking  any  promise.  I  would  not  stay  the  hand 
of  the  law,  or  condone  crime,  but  I  like  to  define  the 
ugly  word  for  myself." 

"  Perhaps  he  was  not  hungry.  There  are  thieves 
who  wear  diamonds  and  live  in  style,  you  know, 
even  though  they  are  always  pleaded  for  by  not  too 
courteous  Christians  as  being  hungry." 

"  Some,  I  suppose,  acquire  cleverness  and  grow 
wealthy  on  their  roguery.  They  are  called  capital- 
ists and  business  men  then,  I  believe,  even  if  they 
were  hungry  when  they  commenced ;  of  course,  no 
one  recalls  that  when  they  become  respectable." 

"  Like  my  ancestors,"  sneered  Mr.  de  Rutyer. 

"  Mr.  de  Rutyer,"  said  Katherine,  going  over  to 
where  he  stood  and  looking  him  in  the  face,  "  cour- 
tesy would  be  out  of  place  here.  That  poor,  dead 


How  an  Outcast  Died  175 

boy  had  a  right  to  have  had  a  chance  to  earn  an 
honest  living  as  well  as  you  had.  Your  superior 
virtue  did  not  come  with  your  birth  any  more  than 
did  his.  That  the  land  belongs  to  certain  people  by 
the  strength  of  fire  and  sword  and  unjust  laws,  and 
not  to  the  people,  does  not  make  it  right  in  God's 
sight.  In  this  wealthy,  great,  grand  city,  men 
should  not  shoot  themselves  because  only  jail  or 
starvation  faced  them.  I  am  not  pleading  for  the 
determined  criminal,  but  for  the  man  whose  only 
alternative  is  wrong-doing.  I  am  not  an  anarchist ; 
I  am  not  a  dreamer ;  but  I  know  that  God's  poor  are 
robbed,  are  made  the  objects  of  degrading  charity 
given  by  their  despoilers,  and  that  God  is  watching 
the  wine-press,  and  will  not  forget." 

"  The  body  may  be  looked  at  now,  ma'am,"  said 
the  undertaker,  suddenly  entering  the  room,  and 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer  led  the  way  into  the  library,  the 
others  following.  Katie  Finnegan  held  Katherine's 
hand  tightly,  and  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  and  John  followed, 
while  the  master  of  the  house,  angry  and  indignant, 
but  touched  all  the  same,  went  with  them. 

"  Poor,  poor  boy,"  said  Katherine,  bending  down 
and  kissing  the  cold  forehead  near  where  the  wound 
was.  "  You  are  my  brother,  and  "  [a  sob]  "  I  wish 
I  might  have  told  you  so.  The  world  beat  and 
kicked  you,  but  I  love  you,  and  I  want  you  to  know 


176  Souls  in  Pawn 

it.  Our  Father  will  tell  you  about  a  greater  love, 
though,  for  I  am  sure  He  has  taken  you  home.  His 
blessed  Son  died  for  you,  and  He  knew  how  hard 
was  your  way." 

Not  an  eye  was  dry,  and  it  was  in  spite  of  himself 
that  Mr.  de  Rutyer  felt  his  black  eyes  grow  moist ; 
and,  when  Katie  Finnegan  said  aloud,  "  Miss 
Irving,  Mr.  de  Rutyer  is  his  brudder,  too;  he's 
cryin',  he  is,"  he  went  to  Katherine  and  gave  her 
his  hand.  She  took  it,  and  looked  into  his  eyes  in 
her  usual  frank  way,  and  the  smile  she  gave  him 
softened  her  words  of  a  few  minutes  before,  but 
made  them  more  pathetic  and  convincing. 

"  He  said,"  and  Katie  pointed  to  the  dead  man, 
"  that  yez  were  to  go  to  Sing  Sing  and  tell  de  fellows 
erbout  God.  Twas  his  last  words,  Miss  Irving." 

"  I  shall,  dear,"  said  Katherine,  simply ;  "  and 
now,  let  us  sing  our  old  hymn,  '  There  is  sunshine 
in  my  soul  to-day.'  Surely,  it  is  appropriate,  for 
our  brother  has  gone  home.  I  have  an  assurance 
that  it  is  to  our  Father's  home — the  Father  who 
knew  him  altogether,  and  whose  boy  he  was." 

And  then,  in  that  room  of  death  where  the  sing- 
ers saw  in  the  face  of  death  the  promise,  "  I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life,"  there  arose  the  glad, 
happy  strains  of  the  sweet  gospel  song. 

"  He  was  sorry  he  was  dyin',  he  was,"  said  Katie. 


How  an  Outcast  Died  177 

"  He  said  to  me  he'd  like  to  live  an'  trust  hisself  to 
God  now ;  but  I  guess  'tis  all  right.  Someway,  I'm 
glad,  I  am,  an'  I  feel  like  laughin'.  I  never  feeled 
dat  way  when  anywan  kicked  de  bucket  before." 

"  It  is  the  new  sense  of  faith  being  developed  in 
you,  Katie,  dear,"  said  Katherine ;  and  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer  smiled  at  Katie's  characteristic  statement,  and 
a  few  moments  later  John  and  Katherine  said  good- 
night. Mrs.  de  Rutyer  kissed  Katherine  fondly, 
and  Katie  shyly  touched  her  hand  with  her  lips. 

Mr.  de  Rutyer  looked  grave  and  thoughtful  when 
they  went  out,  but  it  was  not  because  of  the  gout. 

John  and  Katherine  walked  home  in  eloquent  si- 
lence, for  the  distance  was  not  much  between  the 
de  Rutyer  home  and  the  parsonage,  and  it  was  with 
a  very  good  grace  that  Mrs.  Gleason  admitted  them. 
Indeed,  she  was  acquiring  a  fondness  for  John  that 
to  him  was  doubly  flattering  now  that  he  was  to  be 
one  of  the  family. 

"  Sure,  the  docthor  is  out,  Miss,  an'  'tis  him  won't 
be  in  until  eleven  o'clock,  he  said;  'tis  eight  now, 
and,  sure,  'tis  surprised  he'll  be  to  see  yez  home." 
All  this  by  way  of  gratuitous  information. 

"  Very  well,  Mrs.  Gleason,"  said  Katherine,  kind- 
ly, and  she  took  the  cook's  rough  hand  in  her  own 
gentle  one  and  rubbed  it  softly ;  and  poor  Mrs.  Glea- 
son looked  at  her  as  if  she  were  an  angel,  and  told 

13 


178  Souls  in  Pawn 

herself  she  would  give  a  month's  wages  for  that 
caress. 

"  Mr.  Pierce  and  I  will  have  a  little  chat,  and  will 
not  detain  you,  cookie,  dear,"  she  said,  with  a  smile 
that  was  peculiarly  her  own.  So  she  and  John  were 
left  alone  again. 

"  John,"  she  said,  drawing  a  stool  near  where  he 
sat  and  looking  up  into  his  face,  "  I  must  tell  you 
about  my  proposal,"  and  John,  very  much  surprised 
and  pained,  listened  to  the  whole  story.  When  she 
had  finished  he  said,  looking  down  at  her  with  a 
hard  look  around  his  mouth,  "  He  is  married, 
Katherine." 

"  Married !  "  screamed  Katherine.  "  John,  are 
you  sure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  girlie,  he  is  married  and  keeps  a  saloon, 
and  is  no  more  converted  than  is  his  partner." 

"  John,"  cried  the  horrified  girl,  and  she  trembled 
with  indignation  as  she  recalled  the  events  of  the 
past  few  weeks,  his  avowals  of  grace,  his  preten- 
sions, his  penitence,  his  protestations  of  love,  and 
his  pretended  longings.  Oh,  the  shame  of  it  all; 
the  wickedness  of  the  man,  the  hypocrisy!  No 
tears  could  come  to  Katherine's  eyes,  for  her  pride 
was  wounded,  her  faith  outraged ;  but,  though  these 
things  affected  her,  and  they  did,  or  she  would  not 
have  been  a  woman,  yet  her  strongest  feeling  was 
that  another  soul  was  lost  to  honor  and  to  God. 


How  an  Outcast  Died  179 

"  John,"  she  said,  after  looking  earnestly  at  his 
face,  "  cynics  are  blind  beings  who  call  their  closet 
the  world,  and  its  rattling,  grinning  skeleton  the 
man  made  in  the  image  of  God.  Richard  Master- 
son  has  been  false,  but  he  is  only  one  among  thou- 
sands who  are  true." 

"  No  believer  in  Christ  can  be  a  cynic,  Katherine, 
dear." 

"  No,  and  no  one  who  has  a  John  and  a  father 
such  as  I  have,  can,  either — oh,  John,  supposing  you 
had  never  been  born  ?  " 

John  admitted  that  it  would  be  a  terrible  world 
for  somebody  if  that  interesting  event  had  not  oc- 
curred, and  then,  for  fully  five  minutes,  this  foolish 
pair  became  as  foolish  as  all  others  do  under  similar 
conditions,  and  actually  sighed  at  the  thought  ex- 
pressed by  each  one  incoherently  as,  "  Supposing 
we  had  never  met  ?  " 

"  You  are  sure  you  love  me,  Katherine  ?  "  John 
asks,  and  he  holds  his  breath,  awaiting  her  answer. 

"  Oh,  John,  you  know  I  do,"  she  replies,  hiding 
her  face  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Yes,  but  I  wanted  to  hear  you  say  it,"  he  an- 
swered, frankly,  and  then  he  added  a  lot  of  other 
things  that  no  novice  is  able  to  chronicle. 

As  he  opened  the  hall  door  to  go,  she  ran  after 
him  and  said :  "  John,  come  to  see  me  to-morrow. 


180  Souls  in  Pawn 

You  must  come  often  now.    I — I  want  you  so 
much." 

"  My  Katherine,"  he  cried,  and  as  he  repeated  it 
he  wondered  why  he  had  never  noticed  before  that 
his  voice  was  full  of  music.  Then  he  kissed  her 
hand  softly,  and  went  down  the  stoop  the  happiest 
man  among  New  York's  millions. 


CHAPTER  XX 

A  SPIRITUAL  AND  PHYSICAL  STRUGGLE 

"  WHAT  a  day  it  has  been,"  said  Katherine  to  her- 
self, as  she  re-entered  the  little  parlor.  She  glanced 
at  the  piano,  and  the  music  of  the  Maiden's  Prayer 
was  wafted  on  the  air  to  her,  and  once  again  she 
heard  Richard's  impassioned  voice  as  he  told  her 
of  the  noble  longings  of  his  soul.  Her  face  grew 
stern,  and  a  little  hardness  around  the  mouth 
changed  its  sweet  expression.  She  leaned  back  in 
her  chair  and  looked  up  at  the  ceiling,  and  a  little 
mocking  laugh  escaped  her.  Something  within  her 
said,  "  The  scoundrel,"  and  something  very  much 
like  anger  and  indignation,  and  a  desire  to  shake 
her  hand  in  his  face  and  tell  him  what  a  cringing 
hypocrite  he  was,  possessed  her. 

"  Why  did  God  allow  me  to  be  deceived  thus  ?  " 
she  asked  herself,  and  there  was  a  trace  of  bitterness 
in  the  words.  "  A  saloon-keeper,  married,  uncon- 
verted. Oh,  well,  I  knew  the  latter  was  true  to-day, 
but  God  knew  it  all,  and  knew  it  all  the  time — and, 
supposing  I  had  loved  him,  what  then  ?  " 
181 


182  Souls  in  Pawn 

Katherine  had  never  supposed  what  would  hap- 
pen had  black  been  white,  or  had  she  not  been  born ; 
but,  of  course,  this  was  different.  Things  are  usu- 
ally "  different "  when  we  are  cross  and  unreason- 
able. 

No  answer  came  from  the  stillness  around  her, 
and  a  little  of  the  unbelief  so  near  to  saints  and  sin- 
ners attempted  to  find  a  lodging-place  in  her  heart. 

"  How  glad  I  am  that  I  told  him  what  I  thought  of 
him  to-day,"  she  said,  looking  in  a  self-satisfied  sort 
of  a  way  at  the  carpet,  and  then  a  deep,  angry  flush 
at  the  remembrance  of  all  that  took  place  suffused 
her  face. 

"  How  dare  he  come  here  seeking  to  know  more 
of  God!" 

There  was  no  answer  to  this,  either;  and  then 
the  thought  of  little  Stevie  entered  her  mind.  Of 
course,  the  little  fellow  must  have  been  his  son. 
This  thought  was  adding  fuel  to  the  fire,  and  visions 
of  a  horsewhip  were  flitting  through  the  gentle 
slum-missionary's  mind,  while  the  hot  blood  was 
coursing  through  her  body,  and  tinting  her  face 
with  a  deep  red.  I  said  gentle,  but  Katherine  was 
neither  gentle  nor  meek  by  nature.  Nor  is  anyone 
else  possessed  of  true  gentleness  and  true  meekness 
any  more  than  Moses  was,  except  as  he  learns  in 
the  same  school.  Meekness  is  not  inability  to  be- 


A  Spiritual  and  Physical  Struggle     183 

come  angry,  but  to  be  angry  and  sin  not.  It  is  the 
sceptre  of  self-control  grasped  by  a  hand  that  has 
grown  soft  from  being  held  in  God's  for  a  long  time. 

"  He  lives,  and  the  other  poor  boy  who  longed  to 
find  the  way  of  righteousness  is  dead.  One  lives 
and  prospers,  the  other  had  to  kill  himself  or  steal. 
Oh,  God,  what  do  you  mean?"  cried  Katherine, 
getting  up  and  pacing  the  floor.  No  voice  replies ; 
no  comforting  thought  comes  to  her ;  and  she  leaves 
the  room  and  goes  up  to  her  own  little  bed-room. 
Her  Bible  is  lying  on  the  table,  and  she  thumbs  its 
pages  carelessly  and  a  little  defiantly. 

"  We  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight,"  she  reads, 
and  she  looks  at  it  crossly  and  then  turns  over  to 
the  thirty-seventh  psalm :  "  Fret  not  thyself  because 
of  evil-doers,  neither  be  thou  envious  against  the 
workers  of  iniquity." 

"  It  is  God's  business,  not  mine,"  she  says,  relin- 
quishing the  stewardship  she  has  so  often  promised 
to  fulfil  while  life  lasted,  and  then  she  goes  to  bed, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  all  her  Christian  life  her 
hklf-hour  of  nightly  communion  with  God  is  set 
aside. 

She  is  not  sleepy,  and  is  thinking  too  much  to 
become  so. 

"  How  good  John  is !  how  true !  how  faithful !  " 
her  thoughts  run ;  "  and  how  good  God  is  to  enrich 


184  Souls  in  Pawn 

her  with  the  wealth  of  this  new  love ! "  This 
mollifies  her  very  much,  but  there  is  too  much  of  a 
weight  on  the  other  side  to  exactly  equalize  matters. 
Her  pride  is  hurt.  If  it  was  not  hurt  quite  so  much, 
she  could  find  relief  in  a  good  feminine  cry ;  but,  as 
it  is,  she  can  only  think  and  glower.  And  yet,  be- 
neath it  all  is  the  thought,  "  His  soul  is  lost  to  God." 
She  ponders  and  ponders,  smiling  with  her  thoughts 
of  John,  and  frowning  with  her  thoughts  of  Richard. 
Then  she  goes  to  bed  and  tries  to  sleep,  and  at  last 
succeeds  in  leaving  the  troubled  events  of  waking 
hours  for  the  equally  troubled  ones  of  dreamland. 

Meanwhile,  stirring  events  were  taking  place, 
and,  if  telepathic  influence  extended  from  the  street 
to  her  bed-room,  Katherine's  sleeping  moments 
would  have  been  even  more  restless. 

When  John  left  the  parsonage  he  had  the  uncom- 
fortable feeling  of  being  followed,  and,  when  he 
turned  around  after  having  walked  a  block,  he  knew 
that  it  was  Richard  who  was  dogging  his  footsteps. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  as  the  saloon-keeper  came  up  to 
where  he  stood. 

"  Well,"  repeated  Richard,  and  John  saw  that  he 
had  been  drinking. 

"  Do  you  wish  to  see  me,  Mr.  Masterson  ?  " 

"  Yes,  to  see  how  you  would  look  dead,"  leered 
[Richard,  shaking  his  fist  in  his  face.  "  How  dare 


A  Spiritual  and  Physical  Struggle     185 

you  kiss  Miss  Irving's  hand,  you  popinjay,  you 
miserable-looking  missionary,  you " 

Whatever  else  Richard  meant  to  add  was  checked 
by  the  sight  of  Katherine's  father,  who  had  come 
up  unnoticed  by  either  man.  Both  looked  a  little 
nonplussed  and  stupid.  John  did  not  want  Dr. 
Irving  to  learn  of  his  engagement  through  a  street 
brawl,  and  Richard  did  not  care  to  meet  the  eyes 
that  were  fastened  upon  him,  and  of  which  he  had 
always  been  more  or  less  afraid. 

"  I  want  to  see  you,  Mr.  Masterson,"  said  the 
clergyman,  in  the  calm,  easy  way  in  which  he  always 
talked.  "  I  was  thinking  of  sending  for  you  when 
I  met  you." 

"  Of  course,  she  told  him  how  I  acted  on  the 
train,"  meditated  Richard,  and  then  he  said  aloud 
in  a  voice  that  Dr.  Irving  noticed  was  thick  and 
unsteady,  "  What  do  you  want  to  see  me  for  ?  " 

"  I  shall  tell  you  to-morrow.  Can  you  come  at 
two  o'clock  to  my  office  at  the  mission  ?  " 

"  Why  not  to  your  house?  " 

The  clergyman's  face  grew  a  little  red,  and  he 
said,  "  Because  I  do  not  wish  you  to  do  so." 

"  Indeed,  soul-saver  ?  " 

"  I  shall  expect  you,  then  ?  "  said  the  man  of  God, 
turning  to  go  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  "  I  do 
not  think  you  are  in  a  condition  to-night  to  talk 


186  Souls  in  Pawn 

sensibly,  so  I  will  put  it  off  until  then.  Come, 
John." 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Masterson." 

"  Here,  Pierce,  take  this  with  you,"  cried  Richard, 
making  a  furious  thrust  at  John's  face  with  his  right 
hand,  but  a  moment  later  he  found  it  returned  with 
interest,  and,  as  he  puffed  on  the  sidewalk,  the  stal- 
wart minister  of  religion  found  that  it  was  all  he 
could  do  to  keep  John  from  attacking  him  again." 

"  You  ruffian,"  said  John,  and,  as  the  recollection 
of  the  indignities  to  Katherine  came  to  him,  his 
lithe,  strong  figure  trembled  with  emotion. 

The  encounter  happened  on  West  Forty-fourth 
Street,  and,  as  it  was  late,  the  street  was  almost 
deserted,  so  that  no  one  noticed  the  scuffle.  When 
Richard  rose  to  his  feet  he  made  an  attempt  to  re- 
new his  previous  attack,  but  Dr.  Irving  turned  to 
John  and  said,  sternly :  "  Mr.  Pierce,  go  home.  We 
have  had  enough  of  this  pugilistic  display." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  John,  "  but  surely 
you  did  not  want  me  to  let  this  fellow  attack  me 
without  resenting  it.  Another  man,  in  my  place, 
would  have  thrashed  him  for  his  villany  whether 
he  gave  any  provocation  or  not." 

"  Please  go  home,  Mr.  Pierce,"  reiterated  the 
clergyman,  and  John  went,  not  sullenly,  but  with 
the  air  of  a  man  who  has  done  his  duty.  He  had 


A  Spiritual  and  Physical  Struggle     187 

no  ill-feeling,  and  would  have  given  Richard  his 
hand  and  forgiven  him  for  everything  even  then, 
except  for  his  actions  in  regard  to  Katherine ;  and, 
well,  perhaps  God  would  give  him  grace  for  that 
later,  he  told  himself,  as  he  strode  toward  Eighth 
Avenue. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Richard  to  Mr.  Irving  when 
they  were  left  alone  on  the  street,  "  that  your  daugh- 
ter has  told  you  that  I  proposed  marriage  to  her. 
No  doubt,  you  are  going  to  scold  me." 

It  was  all  said  in  the  half  playful,  half  sarcastic 
way  a  drunken  man  assumes,  but  Mr.  Irving  paid 
no  attention  to  the  tone,  and  said,  simply,  "  No, 
Mr.  Grey  has  told  me  all  I  know  about  you." 

"  Oh,  the  Christian  Merchant,"  laughed  Richard, 
a  little  uneasily. 

"  I  rather  doubted  your  sincerity  from  the  first, 
but  I  did  not  think  you  were  the  man  I  know  you 
to  be  now,"  said  the  clergyman,  looking  searchingly 
at  Richard,  his  deep-set  eyes  peering  as  if  they 
would  scan  his  soul. 

"  A  married  man  who  neglects  his  wife  and 
romances  about  his  boy,  and  a  saloon-keeper  you 
might  be ;  but  one  to  plot  against  a  young  woman 
who  was  your  true  friend,  who  believed  in  you, 
trusted  you,  and  hoped  great  things  for  you — I  did 
not  think  you  would  do  that." 


l88  Souls  in  Pawn 

Profanity  was  Richard's  only  resource,  and  he  in- 
dulged in  that,  and  vowed  vengeance  against  Mr. 
Grey,  John,  and  everybody  he  could  think  of.  Dr. 
Irving  waited  until  he  had  finished,  and  then,  laying 
his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  said  impressively  and 
slowly :  "  You  must  come  to  my  house  no  more.  I 
intend  to  protect  my  child,  and,  no  matter  what 
your  hell-inspired  intentions  are,  I  have  no  fear. 
Mr.  Grey  (whom  Satan  has  undoubtedly  in  his 
clutches,  too)  has  told  me  your  plans,  but  I  advise 
you  to  beware.  Even  now  God  will  forgive  you  if 
you  turn  to  Him." 

"  I  will  drive  you  all  to  the  devil,"  cried  Richard, 
wildly,  his  muddled  and  passion-heated  brain  being 
unable  to  gather  the  import  of  the  minister's  words. 

"  Poor  boy,  you  will  only  injure  yourself.  God 
lives,  you  know." 

This  was  said  in  the  calm,  nearly  tender  voice  that 
Katherine  used  so  frequently,  and  it  sounded  so 
much  like  hers  that  it  maddened  Richard. 

"  She  won  my  love ;  she  charmed  me  purposely ; 
she  knew  I  loved  her,"  he  cried,  wildly,  and  then, 
feeling  his  own  helplessness  beneath  the  calm,  reso- 
lute eyes  of  the  man  of  God  before  him,  he  turned 
and  half  staggered  down  the  street  toward  Eighth 
Avenue,  and  the  clergyman  walked  slowly  in  the 
other  direction. 


A  Spiritual  and  Physical  Struggle     189 

Richard  felt  as  if  he  were  going  mad.  How  nice 
it  would  be  to  kill  himself  and  John  and  Katherine, 
he  thought ;  and  then  other  desperate  ideas,  such  as 
setting  fire  to  a  house  in  order  that  other  brains 
would  rage  as  his  was  raging  now,  seized  him.  A 
harmless  young  man  was  walking  behind  him,  and, 
in  order  that  his  wild  rage  might  have  some  outlet, 
he  turned  round,  seized  him,  and  threw  him  furi- 
ously to  the  ground.  The  man  roared,  "  Murder ! 
thieves !  help ! "  and  two  other  men  coming  in  the 
opposite  direction  ran  and  seized  Richard,  and  then 
a  crowd  gathered,  and  a  few  moments  later  a  police- 
man arrived.  The  harmless  but  now  frightened- 
looking  young  man  made  a  charge  of  highway  rob- 
bery against  Richard,  and  declared  that  his  gold 
watch  had  disappeared.  And  so  it  had.  In  the 
scuffle  it  had  fallen  on  the  sidewalk,  and  a  nimble- 
fingered  gentleman  who  was  one  of  the  early  ar- 
rivals at  the  scene  had  appropriated  it,  and  taken 
it  home  to  admire  it. 

"  You  idiot,  I  am  no  sneak  thief,"  cried  Richard, 
when  the  officer  asked  him  where  the  watch  was. 

"  No,  yer  an  angel.  Come  on  to  the  station- 
house  ;  it's  in  yer  clothes,  or  y'ave  got  an  accomplice, 
that's  what,"  said  the  preserver  of  the  peace.  So 
Richard  went  with  him,  the  harmless  young  man 
following  at  a  safe  distance  behind. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

TWO  CONFERENCES  AND  A  VISIT  FROM    "  DADDY 
LONGLEGS  " 

IT  is  a  month  later,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Irving  and 
his  daughter  are  seated  in  the  parsonage  study 
talking. 

"We  must  be  true,  at  all  hazards,  Katherine," 
her  father  says,  firmly. 

"  I  know,  papa,"  she  answers,  simply.  There  are 
traces  of  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  there  is  no  weakness 
visible  there. 

"  How  do  you  feel  in  regard  to  God  in  this  matter, 
Katherine  ?  " 

"  Oh,  papa  dear,  that  is  it — I  do  not  know." 

"  Why,  Katherine  dear,  surely  you  know  God  bet- 
ter than  to  fear  that  He  will  not  stand  by  you." 

She  answered  nothing  for  a  few  moments.  Her 
face  was  buried  in  her  hands,  and  there  was  a  de- 
spairing look  on  it  when  her  father  lifted  it  up  and 
kissed  it. 

"  Ah,  my  child,"  he  said,  "  it  is  you  who  have 
failed  God.  You  have  been  doubting,  have  you 
not?" 

190 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        191 

"  Yes." 

"And  why,  dear?" 

"  Well,  papa,  I  tried  to  bring  Richard  Masterson 
to  Him.  It  was  the  Christ-love — the — the — I  think 
the  mother-love  in  me  that  made  my  heart  long  to 
save  him  for  our  Father.  I  seemed  to  feel  with  him 
and  to  understand  him  so  well.  It  was  because  of 
that  love  and  trust  that  I  went  on  that  walk  with 
him,  and  it  was  through  this  that  Mr.  Grey  got  the 
opportunity  to  attack  my  character.  You  say  he 
had  a  camera,  and  took  pictures  of  Mr.  Masterson 
and  myself?" 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  have  seen  them,  and  they  appar- 
ently substantiate  his  story." 

Katherine's  mind  reverted  to  the  moment  by  the 
roadside  when  Richard  seized  her  hands  and  bent 
over  her,  saying,  "  Darling,  I  would  be  willing  to 
die  for  you."  She  remembered  the  buggy  that 
drove  by,  and  her  heart  grew  sick  within  her. 

"  Tell  me  all  he  says  about  me,  papa." 

"  Well,  dear,  he  said  you  loved  that  fellow  know- 
ing that  he  was  a  married  man  and  that,  unless  he 
himself  is  restored  to  the  church  and  allowed  to  go 
on  with  his  work  at  the  mission,  he  will  give  the 
whole  story  to  the  newspapers.  Masterson,  he 
says,  maintains  that  you  knew  he  was  married  all 
the  time." 


192  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Papa,  I  cannot  believe  that,"  said  Katherine, 
with  earnest  conviction.  "  Richard  Masterson  was 
not  a  scoundrel  of  that  type.  He  was  impulsive  and 
weak,  but  surely  not  a  studied  rascal." 

"  If  I  could  only  find  him,"  said  the  minister,  sigh- 
ing. "  John  has  searched  everywhere  for  him,  and 
I  have  advertised  in  the  newspapers,  but  it  seems 
as  if  the  very  ground  swallowed  him  up  that  night 
I  left  him.  The  strangest  thing  is  that  his  saloon 
is  shut  up,  and  his  wife  and  child  and  partner  have 
all  disappeared." 

"  Where  does  Mr.  Grey  say  he  is  ?  " 

"  He  simply  says  that  he  knows,"  said  her  father. 

Katherine  remained  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then 
said, "  Papa,  do  you  wonder  that  my  faith  is  weak  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  do,"  he  replied.  "  God  will  vindi- 
cate you  if  you  let  Him.  You  have  been  true  and 
fearless,  but  indiscreet,  Katherine,  and  perhaps  this 
very  experience  will  teach  you  the  lesson  you  need. 
We  wrestle  not  with  flesh  and  blood  alone,  when 
we  are  in  Christian  work,  but  with  a  cunning,  malig- 
nant enemy  who  would  throw  mud  on  God's  bright- 
est stars.  We  must  avoid  even  the  appearance  of 
evil,  just  because  vileness  and  treachery  are  so  much 
a  part  of  the  unregenerate  mind  that  it  sees  its  own 
filth  reflected  in  the  gems  of  earth." 

Dr.  Irving  was  angry,  as  angry  as  every  true  man 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        193 

ought  to  be  when  two-footed  beasts,  with  their  sense 
of  smell  so  sulphurized  that  they  find  the  odor  of 
corruption  everywhere,  turn  their  hideous  faces 
toward  heaven  and  defile  its  holy  precincts  with 
their  perjured  and  sickening  suspicions. 

"  Papa,  I  have  been  too  careless  of  the  fact  that 
where  Satan  dwells  one  has  to  be  careful.  But  to 
me,  lawful  things  have  always  been  expedient  ones, 
and  I  never  thought  anyone  would  dare  to  impeach 
my  character." 

"  They  impeached  the  character  of  the  Lord  of 
Glory,  Katherine.  But,  remember  that  all  things 
work  together — not  separately — for  good  when  we 
love  God.  And  what  kind  of  Christians  would  we 
be  if  God  had  to  send  an  angel  to  notify  us  of  every 
new  surprise  ?  My  little  girl  is  a  soldier,  isn't  she  ?  " 

"  Yes,  papa,  forever  more,"  said  Katherine, 
firmly ;  and  then  she  added,  with  the  sorrowing  con- 
viction that  comes  to  many  a  true  disciple  when  the 
low  light  of  dying  faith  is  flickering  back  again: 
"  Why  was  I  not  true  to  Him  ?  Why  did  I  doubt 
because  the  darkness  came;  oh,  papa,  how  can  I 
make  it  up  to  Him  ?  " 

"  My  darling,"  said  her  father,  softly,  "  He  and 
I  were  Friends  before  you  were  born,  and  I  have 
always  found  that  when  I  wanted  to  please  Him 
the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  believe  Him.  You  can- 
is 


194  Souls  in  Pawn 

not  do  penance,  nor  does  He  want  you  to  place 
your  little  mite  of  suffering  in  the  scale  with  His 
blood  shed  for  you.  If  we  confess  our  sins,  He  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness.  God  can  do  nothing 
with  a  despondent,  unbelieving  Christian,  but  He 
can  work  miracles  with  a  humble,  simple  believer." 

"  Just  take  me  as  I  am,  Lord ;  I  believe  Thee," 
sobbed  Katherine,  and  her  father  took  her  in  his 
arms  and  held  her  there  for  several  minutes. 

John  arrived  a  few  moments  later,  and  he  paced 
up  and  down  the  parlor  until  Katherine  came  to 
him.  She  noticed  that  his  face  was  white,  and  there 
was  a  determined  look  around  his  mouth  that  she 
had  never  seen  there  before,  and  as  she  went  up  to 
him  she  noticed,  too,  that  the  sight  of  her  was  unable 
to  bring  the  light  to  his  eyes  as  it  always  had. 

"  Girlie !  "  he  cries,  and  seizes  her  hands. 

"  What  is  it,  John  ?  "  she  asks,  gently. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  want  to  marry  me  ?  " 

"  I  am,  my  darling ;  of  course,  I  am." 

"  You  are  positive  that — Katherine,  you  are  not 
going  to  misunderstand  me,  are  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  I  am  not." 

"  You  will  not  think  that  someone  has  been  trying 
to  influence  me,  and  that  I  believe  this  awful  story, 
or  that  I  want  to  be  free,  will  you  ?  " 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        195 

She  felt  as  if  she  would  gasp  for  breath,  but  a 
moment  later  she  looked  at  him  and  said :  "  No, 
John,  I  know  you — you  would  not  insult  me,  but," 
and  the  mouth  grew  firm  and  the  winning  smile 
only  succeeded  in  breaking,  sadly,  "  my  happiness 
does  not  depend  even  upon  your  actions.  I  have 
always  wanted  to  be  centred  in  God ;  from  now  on 
I  shall  be.  Only  there,  is  true  rest ;  and,  if  our  hap- 
piness depends  on  Him,  neither  place  nor  circum- 
stances nor  position  can  make  any  difference." 

John  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  and  then  knelt 
before  her,  murmuring,  "  My  queen,  my  queen,  my 
Katherine." 

"  Stand  up,  John,"  she  said,  a  little  crossly. 
"  Sentiment  must  not  overcome  your  common- 
sense.  Besides,  if  I  am  to  be  your  wife,  we  must 
stand  side  by  side.  You  must  not  put  me  on  a 
pedestal,  because  it  would  be  wronging  me  to  expect 
too  much  of  me." 

A  little  sob  unwittingly  escaped  her,  and  as  she 
thought  of  her  recent  unbelief  she  looked  at  John, 
and,  putting  her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  said,  "  John, 
I  want  your  prayers  as  much  as  your  love,  and — 
and,  I  do  want  that." 

"  Then  you  truly  love  me,  girlie  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  question  it?  " 

"  I — I — thought  that  perhaps  you  loved  Master- 
son,  after  all." 


196  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  He  was  married." 

"  Yes,  but  you  did  not  know  it ;  and,  oh,  Kather- 
ine,  darling,  you  were  fond  of  him,  you  know." 

"  Fond  is  not  the  word,  John,  and  you  may  as 
well  understand  this  affection  now.  Ever  since  I 
played  with  my  dollies  in  my  baby  days  my  heart 
has  felt  for  and  suffered  for  the  weak  and  the  help- 
less. My  dear  father  used  to  tell  me  it  was  the 
mother-love,  and  I  believe  he  was  right.  I  know 
that  the  world  might  not  understand  it,  but  you  and 
I  are  not  living  for  the  world ;  and  when  God  gives 
us  those  affections  we  must  recognize  them.  After 
I  gave  myself  to  Christ  this  love  grew  and  grew,  and 
I  have  met  my  poor  little  ones,  some  two  years  old, 
some  twenty-two,  in  the  cars  and  streets  until  I 
have  longed  to  go  to  them  and  tell  them  that  I  loved 
them  with  Him.  I  love  Alice  as  I  loved  our  poor 
brother.  I  love  brave  Katie  Finnegan  and  her  little 
girls ;  and  there  is  not  one,  poor,  wicked,  lost  and  all, 
as  the  world  calls  them,  that  I  do  not  cherish  in  my 
heart." 

"  But  you  may  be  misunderstood,  my  Kath- 
erine." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  John,  and  I  have  been  thinking 
over  it.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  be  more  careful  in  the 
future.  I  have  learned  a  lesson,  John,  and  one  that 
I  am  sure  I  will  never  forget.  I  see  that  while  we 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        197 

walk  on  this  earth  we  have  to  recognize  the  claims 
of  conventionality,  even  though  they  are  the  claims 
of  prudish  hypocrites  who  love  scandal  and  the 
breath  of  sin,  for  the  same  reason  that  the  pig  loves 
the  mire  he  wallows  in.  However,  I  believe  it  to 
be  true  that  personal  affection  often  dresses  itself  up 
in  the  garb  of  the  seeker  for  God.  I  do  not  want  to 
pluck  up  the  wheat  with  the  tares,  but,"  with  a  sad 
smile,  "  whenever  I  suspect  the  weed's  presence  in 
future  I  will  cultivate  it  in  the  presence  of  many 
witnesses." 

John  laughed  heartily,  but  grew  presently  sober 
and  said :  "  I  think  you  are  right,  dear,  especially 
if  it  is  a  masculine  weed.  I  think  that,  except  in 
unusual  cases,  men  had  better  work  with  men  and 
women  with  women." 

"  Yes,  because  sin  is  so  vile  that  it  suspects  every- 
one else.  Oh,  John,  no  wonder  it  killed  our 
Christ!" 

"  My  noble  Katherine,"  said  John,  and  as  she 
twined  her  arms  about  his  neck  they  both  knew 
that  the  shadow  had  fled  forever. 

"  Why  do  you  love  me,  Katherine  ?  "  he  asked, 
after  a  few  moments,  with  all  the  unreasonableness 
of  a  happy  lover. 

"  Oh,  not  because  I  cannot  help  it,"  she  said,  smil- 
ing. "  I  am  not  quite  so  weak  as  that ;  "  and  then, 


Souls  in  Pawn 

more  gravely,  "  I  love  you  for  your  worth,  John.  I 
have  known  you  since  your  boyhood,  when  you 
were  a  little  Irish  emigrant;  and  I  remember  well 
the  time  your  father  died,  leaving  you  alone  in  a 
strange  land.  You  were  then " 

"  Sixteen,"  said  John,  thoughtfully. 

"  Yes,  and  I  remember  the  day  you  came  to  my 
father  and  asked  him  to  find  you  a  position  doing 
anything.  You  had  no  false  pride,  John." 

"  Why  should  I  ?  My  father  was  only  a  poor 
drug-clerk,  darling." 

"  And  you  went  to  work  in  a  foundry — poor 
John." 

"  It  was  the  making  of  me,  Katherine." 

"  And  you  borrowed  books  from  everybody  and 
studied  every  spare  moment,  and  you  saved  one 
hundred  dollars  and  put  it  into  a  bank  that  failed ; 
and  then  you  had  an  attack  of  sickness,  but  you 
clung  to  God  and  preached  a  happy  gospel  by  the 
way,  and  never  grew  sad  or  cynical.  Your  right 
hand  does  not  know  the  hundreds  your  left  hand 
has  helped,  John,  but  your  Katherine  does." 

"  A  Christian  should  be  an  altruist  and  a  brother 
of  men,  sweetheart." 

"And  then,"  continued  Katherine,  musingly, 
"  when  God  had  tried  and  proved  you,  your  success 
commenced,  and  John  Pierce,  the  inventor,  is  the 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        199 

result.  My  brave  John!  Do  you  think  I  do  not 
know  that  temptations  beset  you?  Do  you  think 
I  do  not  know  what  your  struggles  were  before  you 
won  your  battle  ?  Ah,  yes,  I  knew  to  whom  I  gave 
my  heart." 

As  Katherine  concluded  she  looked  at  John,  with 
pride  beaming  in  her  eyes,  and,  just  as  he  was  go- 
ing to  grow  foolish  in  the  recognized  and  traditional 
way  of  all  lovers,  Mrs.  Gleason  announced  a  messen- 
ger from  Mrs.  de  Rutyer.  The  messenger  was  a 
woman,  cross-eyed  and  tall,  with  a  large  oval  fore- 
head that  made  her  look  as  if  she  was  bald-headed. 
Her  skirts  were  short,  and  her  long,  thin  legs  and 
big  feet,  together  with  the  look  in  her  eyes,  gave 
her  a  rather  uncouth  appearance. 

"  Have  you  experienced  religion  ?  "  she  said  to 
Katherine,  looking  at  her,  but  because  of  the 
strangeness  of  her  visual  organs  apparently  staring 
John  out  of  countenance. 

Katherine  knew  that  this  was  one  of  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer's  former  pensioners,  and  maliciously  concluded 
that  John  would  be  better  able  to  take  her  in  hand, 
so  she  said,  "  Ask  Mr.  Pierce." 

The  visitor  now  stared  at  John,  but  looked  as  if 
Katherine  was  the  one  person  whose  soul  she  want- 
ed to  read ;  and,  after  a  few  moments  of  close 
scrutiny,  during  which  her  distorted  stares  first 


2oo  Souls  in  Pawn 

frightened  one  and  then  the  other,  she  said,  "  And, 
sir,  who  are  you  that  you  should  be  my  sister's 
keeper?" 

"  Bless  you,  I  have  not  got  your  sister ;  you  may 
search  me,"  said  John,  looking  very  innocent,  and 
turning  his  pockets  inside  out. 

"  Has  she  experienced  religion,  and  what  have 
you  to  do  with  it  ?  "  the  lady  of  the  attenuated  gar- 
ments said,  preserving  a  serenity  of  countenance 
that  would  have  put  the  pyramids  to  shame. 

"  She  has  had  many  funny  experiences,"  said 
John,  "  but  her  heart  has  been  weakened  lately," 
this  with  a  sly  glance  at  Katherine,  "  and  we  think 
it  is  better  she  should  not  have  so  much  entertain- 
ment." 

"  Funny !  entertainment !  "  screamed  the  visitor, 
jumping  up  and  down  and  shaking  a  heavy  Bible 
at  him. 

"  Please  stop,"  said  John.  "  If  you  make  her 
laugh  I  will  have  to  throw  water  on  her." 

"  I  have  written  a  poem,"  said  the  visitor,  im- 
pressively, "  on  the  death  of  a  certain  Polly " 

"The  Polly  who  wanted  the  cracker?"  inter- 
rupted John. 

"  One  whom  I  knew,"  continued  the  visitor,  with- 
out deigning  to  notice  the  interruption.  "She 
went  to  hell." 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        201 

"Oh!  ah!  my!"  this  from  John;  and  then: 
"  Did  you  know,  madam,  that  pronouncing  that  last 
word  is  a  proof  of  one's  orthodoxy  nowadays  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  read  you  a  part  of  my  poem,  sir." 

"Is  it  funny?" 

"Funny?" 

"  Yes,  because  if  it  is  I  must  get  some  water. 
Mrs.  Gleason,  please  bring  me  a  few  quarts  of 
water." 

Mrs.  Gleason,  who  was  standing  by,  grinned 
broadly  and  brought  the  water,  and  John  said,  with 
the  air  of  a  desperate  man,  "  Now,  madam,  pro- 
ceed." 

"  Beware  of  the  flesh,  young  man." 

"  I  will  remember  that,"  said  John,  and  to  Mrs. 
Gleason's  delight  and  Katherine's  great  danger,  for 
she  was  now  on  the  point  of  choking  with  sup- 
pressed laughter,  the  visitor  read  a  poem  on  the 
infernal  regions,  which  she  did  not  need  to  assure 
her  hearers  was  original  in  conception  and  treat- 
ment. At  the  close  of  each  verse  she  repeated  the 

chorus : 

"  Oh,  'tis  awful,  awful,  awful! 
Oh,  'tis  awful  to  go  there," 

and  as  she  went  on  she  would  raise  first  one  foot 
and  then  the  other,  stamping  vehemently  all  the 
time.  It  was  clear  that  "  Daddy "  never  read 


2O2  Souls  in  Pawn 

Dante,  and  equally  clear  that  she  had  founded  a  new 
school  of  thought  on  the  question  of  future  punish- 
ments and  rewards,  but,  somehow  or  other,  the 
looked-for  converts  were  slow  in  appreciating  it. 
When  she  ceased  reading  Katherine  screamed  with 
laughter,  and  John  raised  his  water-pitcher,  but 
stumbled  in  getting  up,  so  that  a  great  part  of  the 
contents  fell  over  their  visitor,  who  screamed,  "  Oh, 
'tis  awful " ;  for,  in  her  excitement,  she  was  still  in 
the  midst  of  her  poem  dilating  on  Polly's  woes. 

"  I  knew  there  would  be  trouble  if  you  read  that 
funny  thing,"  said  John,  looking  aggrieved. 

"  You  are  a  wicked  man,"  said  the  visitor,  "  and 
now  I  remember  that  you  are  the  same  fleshly,  car- 
nal son  of  the  Prince  of  the  Powers  of  the  air  who 
interrupted  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  meeting  at  the  mission 
some  time  ago." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  you ;  you  are  a  young  sales- 
lady," said  John,  mischievously. 

"  I  am  not,  sir ;  I  pray  for  my  living.  A  voice 
comes  to  me  in  my  sleep  and  tells  me  to  pack  my 
effects  and  leave,  telling  me  what  brother's  or  sister's 
house  to  go  to,  so  I  go  at  once ;  and,  as  the  voice 
sends  me,  I  have  a  right  to  stay  there  as  long  as 
I  want  to." 

"  Lie  down  on  the  couch  and  have  a  sleep,"  said 
John,  "  and  I  will  help  you  to  be  obedient  when  you 
get  your  message." 


Two  Conferences  and  a  Visit        203 

The  woman  looked  at  him,  rolled  her  eyes,  and 
then  opened  her  Bible,  but  Katherine  had  too  much 
respect  for  the  Word  of  God  to  see  it  wrested  to 
fit  the  fanatical  crook  of  the  visitor's  insane  dogma, 
so  she  said,  quietly,  "  Kindly  give  me  your  mes- 
sage." 

"  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  and  Miss  Cathiy  Finiganni  wish 
to  see  you." 

"  Miss  who  ?  "  exclaimed  Katherine. 

"  The  child  of  the  slums  who  was  formerly  known 
as  Katie  Finnegan,  but  as  Saul  became  Paul  when 
he  became  converted,  so  I  have  called  this  child  of 
wretchedness  Cathiy  Finiganni." 

"  My  dear  Katie  is  not  a  child  of  wretchedness," 
said  Katherine,  indignantly,  "  and  her  name  is  just 
plain  Katie  Finnegan,  and  it  is  a  name  that  is  going 
to  tell  for  God,  too.  Please  do  not  attempt  to  put 
any  of  your  nonsensical  ideas  into  the  child's  head, 
and  I  beg  of  you,"  smiling  sweetly  even  at  this 
strange  specimen  of  a  believer,  "  not  to  let  the  devil 
turn  you  aside  from  the  plain  common-sense  way 
of  God.  The  leadings  of  God  must  not  be  turned 
into  the  advice  of  a  fortune-teller,  and  when  God 
gives  us  health  and  opportunities  we  must  not  think 
that  we  can  prey — I  spell  it  with  an  e — on  our 
neighbors  instead  of  laboring  for  ourselves." 

"  I  had  hoped  Cathiy  might  be  helped  by  you,  but 


204  Souls  in  Pawn 

I  see  that  she  cannot.     This  is  the  result  of  your 
teaching." 

"  This  "  was  a  letter,  and  the  visitor  stalked  out 
as  John  commenced  to  read  it.  It  ran : 

"  DEAR  DADDY  LONGLEGS  :  If  you  call  me  Cathiy 
agin  I'll  be  tempted  to  forget  I'm  saved,  an  I'll  be  apt 
to  punch  yer  complexun.  Now  look  here,  if  y'ure 
desent  I'll  stan'  wid  ye.  De  boss  wants  a  laundress, 
so  if  ye  want  to  work  fer  a  livin'  come  roun'  an  I'll 
say  a  good  word  fer  yez,  an  if  yez  is  too  lazy  to 
wash  I'll  send  de  dog  catcher  after  yez  an  put  yez 
in  de  poor-house.  Don't  be  disgracin'  de  Lord 
w'en  yer  servin'  old  Nick.  God  takes  de  lazy  out 
of  old  sinful  bones,  so  be  honest  an'  admit  dat  yer 
present  side  of  de  house  is  de  devil's  side. 

"  KATIE  FINNEGAN." 

"John,  come  into  the  library;  I  want  you,"  said 
Dr.  Irving,  appearing  in  the  doorway  with  a  troubled 
look  on  his  face  that  the  smiles  of  the  other  two 
could  not  take  away. 

"  And  I  will  run  around  to  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's," 
said  Katherine,  and  after  she  had  pressed  John's 
hand  she  turned  to  her  father  and  said,  "  Papa  dear, 
cling  closer  to  our  Christ,"  but  her  own  heart  felt 
strangely  heavy  when  the  street-door  shut  behind 
her. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

KATHERINE   REPLIES    TO   A   RASCAL    AND   VENTURES 
AN    OPINION    ON    SOCIALISTIC    DOCTRINES 

FROM  the  parsonage,  which  was  on  West  Forty- 
eighth  Street,  Katherine  walked  briskly  toward  the 
de  Rutyer  mansion.  But  she  had  not  gone  far  when 
she  noticed  that  someone  was  walking  close  behind 
her,  and,  turning  around,  she  saw  the  Christian 
Merchant,  who  leered  at  her  in  a  triumphant  and 
positively  demoniac  way. 

"  Well,  have  you  come  to  terms,  sister?  " 

"  What  are  your  terms  ? "  asked  Katherine, 
quietly. 

"  Just  this :  that  if  you  and  your  father  say  noth- 
ing I  will  repent  and  return  to  the  mission  field,  and 
will  give  money  to  your  work,  besides  throwing 
away  the  proofs  of  your  fall  from  grace." 

This  was  said  half  mockingly,  half  sadly,  and 
Katherine  smiled  as  he  concluded. 

"  Mr.  Grey,"  she  said,  "  you  know  as  well  as  I 
do  that  I  sought  to  save  Mr.  Masterson,  and  that  I 
was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  things  I  have  since 

20$ 


206  Souls  in  Pawn 

learned  about  him.  The  proofs  you  speak  of  are 
only  a  further  proof  of  how  fully  Satan  possesses 
you.  You  know  that  '  the  wages  of  sin  is  death  * ; 
and,  as  one  who  is  interested  in  your  eternal  wel- 
fare, I  ask  you  to  flee  to  the  cross  of  Christ  for 
forgiveness.  I  have  nothing  to  fear  from  you,  for 
God  is  my  refuge." 

"  Don't  you  know  that  there  are  many  in  the 
church  and  outside  of  it  who  will  believe  what  I  tell 
them  ?  "  asked  the  Christian  Merchant. 
,     "  Perhaps,  but  that  has  no  influence  with  me." 

"  It  will  drive  you  out  of  Christian  work." 

"  I  am  not  in  it  for  myself ;  if  God  is  done  with  me 
I  am  quite  willing  to  give  it  up." 

"  You  might  have  saved  yourself,  had  you  not 
intended  to  expose  me." 

"  I  never  intended  to  expose  you  publicly,"  said 
Katherine,  "but  I  had  determined  that  you  were 
to  remain  out  of  the  work.  That  in  itself  would 
have  told  those  who  ought  to  know,  that  something 
was  wrong,  but  would  not  tell  what.  As  for  your 
money^  not  one  dollar  of  it  is  to  enter  our  treasury, 
for  we  have  our  grave  doubts  of  its  honest  stamp !  " 

"  You  will  sing  another  tune  next  week,  sister," 
said  the  Christian  Merchant,  bitterly,  as  Katherine 
left  him  and  crossed  the  street. 

All  the  way  to  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  she  prayed ;  for 


Katherine  Replies  to  a  Rascal       207 

this  cross  that  had  come  to  her  burned  her  soul,  and 
she  did  not  even  dare  to  look  at  it  or  to  estimate  its 
weight.  If  the  story  got  into  the  newspapers  she 
felt  she  could  not  live  through  it — and  then  the 
shame  of  it  all !  and  the  doubts  it  might  raise  in  the 
minds  of  many  who  were  looking  to  her  as  a  servant 
of  Jesus  Christ.  But  no  thought  of  compromise 
ever  entered  her  heart,  and  as  she  rang  the  bell  of 
the  house  to  which  she  was  going,  a  prayer  that 
spoke  the  cry  of  her  heart  ascended  to  heaven.  It 
was,  "  Only  let  me  be  true,  Lord." 

In  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  morning-room  were  the  lady 
of  the  house,  her  husband,  and  Katie. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Irving,  I'm  going  to  get  de  kids  out  o' 
de  home,"  cried  Katie,  joyfully. 

"  Katie,  Katie  dear ! "  remonstrated  Mrs.  de 
Rutyer. 

"  Oh,  well,  I  mean  I'm  goin'  to  get  de — me — my 
brudders  an'  sisters  out  o'  de  home,"  corrected 
Katie,  "  an'  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  goin'  to  send  dem  to 
loin  at  a  swell  school  where  dey'll  loin  how  to  do  de 
grand." 

"  Now,  Katie,  put  that  sentence  [a  hiss]  in  good 
English." 

"  De  deah  littal  ones  are  goin'  to  a  boarding- 
school,"  said  Katie,  hissing  out  the  words  with  an 
accent  that  rivalled  Mrs.  de  Rutyer's  own,  "  an'  I'm 
goin'  to  have  a  celluloid  inflooence  over  dem." 


208  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Sanctified,  Katie !  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Katie,  blushing ;  "  an*  we  feel 
suah  dere  will  be  terrible  results." 

"  Tangible,  Katie,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  smiling, 
while  her  husband's  portly  frame  shook. 

After  Katherine  had  joined  in  the  laugh,  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer  said :  "  Katherine  dear,  my  husband 
wants  to  send  Katie  to  school,  too,  but  she  does  not 
care  to  go  because  she  wants  to  keep  up  her  work 
in  the  Finnegan  Association,  and  I  want  to  know 
what  you  advise  about  it." 

"  Could  Katie  not  go  to  the  public  school,  and 
go  to  the  club  in  the  evenings  ?  "  asked  Katherine. 

"  Now,  dat's  what  I  say,"  said  Katie,  beaming  at 
her  friend.  "  Lizzie  Kelly  comes  up  to-day  an'  she 
sez,  '  Katie,'  sez  she,  '  stick  to  de  gang.'  '  Ye  bet 
I  will,'  sez  I.  '  Pray  for  de  gang,  Katie,'  sez  she ; 
'  lots  o'  dem  hain't  got  no  dinners,  an'  dey  gets  too 
tired  and  flabbergasted  to  pray  for  deyselves.  Dey 
t'inks  yer  high-toned  'cause  yer  wid  swells.'  '  Not 
much,'  sez  I,  '  an'  I'm  goin'  to  pay  back  every  cent 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer  spends  on  me,  an'  she's  all  right,  too, 
at  dat,' "  this  with  a  sweet  smile  at  her  guardian. 
"  Now,  if  I  gev  de  club  de  go-by,  dey'd  say  I  got 
all  de  soup  I  wanted  an'  den  fergot  me  friends — not 
much ! " 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  decision  in  the  "  not 


Katherine  Replies  to  a  Rascal       209 

much,"  and  Katherine  said,  "  I  think  you  are  right, 
Katie." 

"  I  want  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  to  hire  a  decent  room 
for  us,"  said  Katie.  "  Tis  fer  Jesus,  so  I'm  not 
'shamed  at  askin'  fer  it ;  an/  somehow,  I'm  sure  we'll 
be  able  ter  do  something  wid  de  club." 

"  And  I  will  do  it,  Katie,"  said  Mrs.  de  Rutyer. 
"  Katherine,  what  do  you  suggest  ?  " 

"  I  would  suggest  the  renting  of  a  flat  in  the 
neighborhood,  to  be  in  charge  of  a  few  paid  resident 
workers,  if  two  could  not  be  found  wealthy  and  self- 
sacrificing  enough  to  give  their  time  to  it.  These 
women  would  visit  in  the  neighborhood,  and  live 
among  the  people  in  a  spirit  of  sisterly  helpfulness. 
They  would  hold  simple  gospel  services,  and  per- 
haps have  industrial  classes,  and,  of  course,  welcome 
the  club  members,  who  ought  to  own  one  of  the 
rooms  at  least." 

"  Good !  Good !  "  said  Katie,  and  then  she  added, 
"  an'  I  would  pick  out  some  o'  de  girls  to  go  to  de 
different  houses,  an'  show  d'old  dames  how  to  house- 
clean,  an'  maybe  I'd  loin  to  cook  an'  teach  'em. 
Say,  half  o'  de  kids  die  o'  bad  food  and  dirt." 

Katherine  suddenly  thought  of  Alice's  ambitious 
dreams,  and  she  stroked  Katie's  head  in  silence. 

"  Have  you  been  to  Sing  Sing  prison  yet,  Miss 
Irving  ?  "  asked  Mr.  de  Rutyer,  suddenly. 
14 


2io  .  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  yes,  three  times.  I  held  one  public  meet- 
ing, and  had  many  interviews  with  friends  of  our 
poor  boy.  They  all  knew  and  liked  him,  and  many 
tears  were  shed  over  his  sad  death.  I  expect  to  go 
again  in  a  few  weeks,  for  I  hope  to  bring  God  many 
pearls  out  of  that  dark  place." 

"  I  believe  you  are  something  of  a  socialist  or 
single-tax  advocate,"  said  Mr.  de  Rutyer,  smiling. 

"Why?" 

"  Oh,  because  of  your  harangue  on  the  right  to 
the  use  of  the  earth,  the  night  that  poor  fellow's 
body  lay  there.  I  was,  I  confess,  a  little  mean  about 
it." 

"  No,  I  am  neither,"  said  Katherine,  slowly, 
"  though,  as  Sir  Roger  said,  I  believe  there  is  much 
to  be  said  on  both  sides.  The  right  to  the  use  of 
the  earth  is  plain  enough,  but,  since  the  law  makes 
private  use  of  land  legal,  I  do  not  see  how  it  can 
decide  now  that  it  is  robbery,  or  how  it  can  put  an 
end  to  the  system  without  making  some  recompense 
to  land-owners.  You  can  never  make  a  thing  right 
by  doing  wrong." 

"  The  slaveholders  of  the  South  were  not  recom- 
pensed when  the  blacks  were  freed,"  said  Mr.  de 
Rutyer. 

"  That  was  a  question  of  North  and  South ;  this 
land  question  is  a  universal  one,  Mr.  de  Rutyer; 


Katherine  Replies  to  a  Rascal       211 

and  so  closely  are  the  interests  of  the  people  con- 
nected with  it  that  you  will  find  very  few  ready  to 
shoulder  a  musket  for  it.  The  one  was  a  direct 
traffic  in  flesh  and  blood.  This  would  be  termed 
only  an  indirect  one  by  even  the  most  radical.  As 
long  as  there  will  be  individual  effort  and  genius 
there  will  be  individual  enterprise,  and,  after  all, 
should  we  sacrifice  the  individual  for  the  whole  ?  " 

"  Do  you  think,  then,  that  I  have  a  right  to  own 
land  while  others  starve  ?  " 
"  Supposing  that  I  do  not  ?  " 
"  Well,  I  would  maintain  that  I  have." 
"  Exactly,"  said  Katherine.    "  Mr.  de  Rutyer,  the 
Spirit  of  God  must  take  the  selfish  interests  out  of 
the  hearts  of  men  before  the  golden  age  becomes  a 
reality." 

"  But,  you  know,"  he  said,  smiling,  "  that  the 
apostles  of  the  single-tax  claim  that  it  is  poverty 
that  creates  vice ;  and  that  the  poor  man  would  be 
as  polite  as  the  rich  man  if  there  was  enough  on 
his  table.  He  scrambles  for  food,  they  say,  only 
when  he  has  not  enough." 

"  Partly  true,  but  not  all  the  truth,"  said  Kath- 
erine. "  There  are  greater  vices  than  bad  manners, 
and  I  assure  you  the  rich  have  their  share  of  them. 
If  poverty  and  sin  are  twin-brothers,  how  do  we 
account  for  the  more  refined,  but  much  more  hide- 


212  Souls  in  Pawn 

ous  sins  of  the  purple-wearers  ?  It  is  true  that  pov- 
erty sometimes  makes  the  drunkard ;  but  it  is  much 
more  often  true  that  drunkards  make  poverty." 

"  You  do  not  think,  then,  that  socialism  and  state 
ownership  of  land  would  solve  the  problem  of  the 
unemployed,  Miss  Irving?  " 

"  No,  indeed,  because  we  have  a  wrong  idea  of 
greatness ;  and,  with  the  incentive  to  private  enter- 
prise gone,  I  believe  the  state  would  become  the 
custodian  of  more  lazy  ones  than  any  other  kind. 
Ah,  Mr.  de  Rutyer,  I  would  be  glad  if  I  could  see 
any  measure  that  would  set  our  crooked  social  sys- 
tem right ;  but,  when  I  know  that  every  wrong  com- 
menced right  in  the  heart  of  man,  and  that  it  is  the 
transgressing  of  the  laws  of  God  that  have  flooded 
us  with  the  social  problems  that  are  social  curses, 
I  know  that  every  reform  must  begin  from  within, 
and  not  from  without.  Government  ownership 
would  not  insure  us  honest  ownership  nor  honest 
officials,  any  more  than  hundreds  of  statute  books 
and  millions  of  police  prevent  crime.  The  failure 
of  many  of  our  prohibitory  liquor  laws,  and  the 
clever  and  unblushing  way  public  men  help  law- 
breakers to  strain  fine  points  and  get  around  the 
legal  difficulties,  show  us  that  law  does  not  always 
succeed." 

"  It  will  take  a  long  time  to  convert  the  world," 
said  Mr.  de  Rutyer. 


Katherine  Replies  to  a  Rascal       213 

"  No  longer  than  to  convince  the  world  that  its 
own  interests  should  be  secondary,"  said  Katherine, 
"  and  not  nearly  so  long  as  that,  if  the  church  was 
true  to  its  mission ;  because  the  Christ  in  men  makes 
hard  things  easy.  If  in  God  we  live  and  move  and 
have  our  being,  any  honest  science  will  tell  us  that 
no  patching  from  outside  will  help  our  difficulties, 
but  that  we  must  get  back  to  our  centre.  God  is  my 
remedy  for  all  the  ills  that  flesh  has  made  itself  an 
heir  to,  and  those  Christian  men  or  women  do  not 
deserve  the  name  who  will  not  gladly  account  them- 
selves stewards  of  Christ  and  use  their  wealth  in  His 
service.  When  He  comes,  the  social  problems  will 
be  solved.  We  can  solve  many  of  them  now  with 
prayer." 

"  That  is  an  easy  way,  Miss  Irving." 

"  On  the  contrary,  thousands  of  men  would  rather 
agitate  and  storm  and  fight  whirlwinds  with  their 
little  straws  than  to  let  Christ  lead  them  into  all 
truth  and  righteousness  and  wisdom;  and  they 
would  rather  create  a  revolution  than  a  prayer.  It 
is  all  so  simple  that  they  are  ashamed  to  part  with 
their  intellectual  doctrines  for  it.  Ah,  Mr.  de  Rut- 
yer,  when  we  know  that  the  great  laws  of  prayer 
are  as  fixed  as  those  of  gravitation,  and  as  certain 
of  results,  this  world  will  be  nearer  the  dawn  of  its 
millennial  morning." 


214  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  I  want  to  help,  Miss  Irving,"  said  Mr.  de  Rut- 
yer,  in  a  low  voice,  "  for  I  think  that  your  theories 
are  right.  After  all,  no  social  reformer  need  cease 
his  efforts  if  he  becomes  a  Christian  missionary,  for, 
as  you  say,  one  can  approach  an  unselfish,  righteous 
man  with  truth  when  the  self-centred  one  would 
refuse  to  listen." 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  said  Katherine,  earnestly.  "  I 
would  impress  on  Christian  men,  above  all  other 
things,  the  power  of  the  ballot.  They  should  vote 
and  uphold  moral  earnestness  and  moral  issues  al- 
ways ;  otherwise,  of  course,  the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil  will  carry  the  election.  The  Christian  who 
is  untrue  to  this  duty  is  untrue  to  God." 

"  Do  you  wish  you  had  the  right  to  vote  ?  " 

"  Decidedly,  I  do,"  said  Katherine,  "  and  when  I 
get  that  right  I  will  exercise  it;  but  my  life-long 
mission  will  be  leading  the  blinded  wanderers  to  the 
light." 

Mrs.  de  Rutyer  smiled  sweetly  and  sympatheti- 
cally at  Katherine,  and  again  the  discussion  turned 
upon  Chinatown,  and  Katie  suggested  a  prayer  for 
the  success  of  their  project.  After  the  prayer,  Mr. 
de  Rutyer  brought  out  his  check-book  and  wrote 
four  figures  upon  it,  and  Katherine  went  home 
stronger  in  faith  and  more  determined  to  carry  the 
banner  of  the  cross  than  she  had  ever  been  before. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

BROUGHT  TO   BAY 

LATE  as  it  was  when  Katherine  returned,  she 
found  her  father  and  John  still  engaged  in  earnest 
conversation;  and  when  she  looked  at  them,  and 
succeeded  in  forcing  a  little  tired  smile  to  her  face, 
she  saw  that  something  had  happened  that  had 
deeply  touched  the  souls  of  both.  She  sat  down 
near  them  after  removing  her  cloak,  and  told  them 
about  her  meeting  with  Mr.  Grey,  and  his  threats. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  him  to-day,  Katherine,"  said  her 
father.  "  I  have  been  telling  John  about  it.  He 
warned  me  that,  if  he  were  not  back  in  the  work 
by  next  Saturday  night,  he  would  expose  what  the 
ruffian  calls  your  fall  from  grace,  next  Sunday." 

"  If  only  you  will  let  me  deal  with  him,  Doctor," 
said  John,  fiercely. 

"  John,  John,  dear,"  said  Katherine,  stroking  his 
hand;  and  then,  turning  to  her  father,  she  said, 
"  Papa,  has  John  told  you  about — about  us?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  clergyman,  his  brow  clearing  a 
little.    "  Why  did  you  not  ?  " 
215 


216  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Because,"  and  a  mischievous  look  took  pos- 
session of  her  face,  "  /  proposed  to  him,  and  I 
thought  he  might  at  least  ask  for  your  blessing." 

"  Katherine,  I  have  been  asking  you  to  marry  me 
for  several  years,"  said  John,  with  mock  indignation. 

"  And  only  when  you  stopped  did  I  agree,"  said 
Katherine.  "  Papa,  is  not  that  the  way  of  all 
women  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,  dear,"  said  her  father,  affectionately. 
"  You  could  not  have  pleased  me  more  than  you 
have.  I  frankly  confess  that  I  did  not  expect  you 
to  make  such  a  sensible  choice." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Katherine,  a  little  indignantly. 
"  You  think  I  have  neither  sense  nor  poise,  and  am 
all  emotion  and  sentiment,  because  I  laugh  between 
'  Amens,'  and  refuse  to  let  religion  make  me  solemn. 
However,"  mischievously,  "  I  do  not  know  that  I 
have  shown  such  good  sense,  after  all." 

"  I  am  only  getting  to  know  you  lately,  Kath- 
erine," said  her  father,  gravely.  "  It  seems  hard  to 
lose  you  now." 

"  Lose  me !  Do  you  think  John  would  ask  me 
to  leave  you  ?  No,  indeed ;  I  am  sure  he  has  made 
up  his  mind  that  we  are  to  live  with  you  here  in 
the  parsonage." 

Now,  John  had  done  no  such  thing,  but  Kath- 
erine had  determined  to  rule  her  husband  with"  love. 


Brought  to  Bay  217 

and  to  let  him  think  his  was  the  master  hand;  so 
she  smiled  sweetly  at  him,  her  golden-brown  eyes 
telling  their  own  soft  story,  and  he  brushed  her  rich, 
brown  tresses  with  his  hand  and  said :  "  My  queen 
shall  always  decide  such  matters  for  me.  You 
know,  my  dear  pastor,"  turning  to  her  father,  "  how 
I  have  always  loved  you.  I  will  be  happy  to  have 
you  with  us.  We  will  all  grow  old  together." 

"  We  are  not  likely  to  quarrel,  my  boy,"  said  Dr. 
Irving,  smiling.  "  But  let  us  return  to  our  former 
subject.  What  are  we  to  do  about  Mr.  Grey  ?  " 

Katherine  leaned  back  in  her  chair  and  gazed 
meditatively  up  at  the  ceiling.  As  her  thoughts 
took  form  and  shape  she  frowned,  and  the  frown 
was  followed  by  a  look  of  pain ;  and,  again,  by  one 
of  sorrow  and  perplexity ;  but  no  look  of  fear  was 
there.  Gradually  a  firm,  set  expression  cornered 
her  mouth,  and  she  sat  up  in  her  chair  and,  looking 
at  her  father,  said,  "  Papa,  is  not  next  Lord's  day 
communion  Sunday?  " 

"  Yes,  my  child." 

"  No  one  but  the  members  of  the  church  and 
other  Christians  will  be  there  at  the  Lord's  Supper," 
she  said,  meditatively,  and  then,  as  if  this  decided 
her,  she  said,  "  that  is  the  best  time." 

"  For  what,  Katherine?  " 

"  For  the  truth,  papa.    After  the  communion 


2l8  Souls  in  Pawn 

service  I  intend  to  stand  on  the  platform  and  tell 
the  people  the  entire  story.  Let  them  judge  then, 
and  let  God  decide." 

"  Katherine ! "  cried  John  and  her  father,  in 
amazement. 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  will  do,"  she  answered, 
calmly.  "  Truth  needs  no  shield,  nor  has  it  any 
right  to  shelter  itself  behind  diplomacy." 

"  But,  Katherine,"  said  John,  "  that  is  inviting  a 
scandal.  Mr.  Grey  may  repent,  and  time  works 
wonders." 

"  Diseases  grow  worse  with  time,  John,"  she  re- 
plied, "  and  I  believe  the  knife  ought  to  be  used  in 
desperate  cases.  If  my  life  among  our  people  is  not 
a  testimony  in  my  behalf,  it  is  better  I  should  know 
it.  When  I  tell  them,  they  will  not  believe  this  vile 
thing  against  me." 

"  The  world  believed  ill  of  Christ,  Katherine." 

"  But  He  faced  it  bravely,  and  so  will  I,"  said  the 
little  heroine,  undaunted. 

a  Suppose  I  forbid,  Katherine  ?  "  said  her  father, 
looking  fixedly  at  her,  his  deep,  black  eyes  growing 
cold  and  stern. 

"  You  will  not,  papa,  dear,"  she  replied,  taking 
his  hand,  a  tender,  pleading  light  filling  her  smiling 
eyes  with  an  added  witchery.  "  You  know  it  is  for 
the  truth's  sake.  I  am  going  to  pray  about  it,  and," 


Brought  to  Bay  219 

with  a  triumphant  ring  in  her  musical  voice,  "  I  be- 
lieve in  the  God  I  pray  to." 

Her  father  turned  his  face  away,  and  John  rea- 
soned and  pleaded  caution  and  prudence,  but  she 
was  inexorable,  and  both  men  realized  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives  that  this  little  woman  they  both 
loved  had  a  metal  in  her  composition  they  had  never 
heard  ring  before.  It  seemed  as  if  the  voice  of 
prophecy  spoke  within  the  minister's  soul  as  he  went 
to  bed  that  night. 

"  My  little  girl's  heart  is  a  great  one,  and  so  it 
will  have  to  suffer,"  he  said,  sadly.  "  It  is  a  brave 
one,  and  so  will  have  to  fight ;  it  is  a  tender  one,  and 
so  will  need  to  sorrow;  it  is  uncurbed,  and  it  will 
be  reined  in  in  a  hard  school,  but  it  will  win  many 
souls  and  many  battles,  and  defeat  will  only  make 
it  more  beautiful." 

It  is  Sunday  morning,  a  bright  August  morning, 
and  the  Reverend  Doctor  Irving's  church  is  full,  as 
it  always  is  on  the  Sabbath  day.  It  is  a  wide  build- 
ing, built  like  a  theatre,  with  little  regard  for  the 
beautiful  in  its  interior  decoration,  for  the  preacher 
has  ideas  of  his  own  about  how  money  should  be 
spent.  He  does  not  think  it  ought  to  go  for  stained 
windows  or  velvet-cushioned  pews,  especially  when 
it  is  so  scarce.  He  has  old-fashioned  views  about 
things,  and  thinks  that  a  church  should  be  hallowed 


220  Souls  in  Pawn 

only  by  the  presence  of  God ;  and  be  only  a  place 
wherein  He  is  worshipped,  and  where  the  soul  comes 
into  touch  with  Him.  He  tells  his  people  about  the 
New  Jerusalem,  where  there  shall  be  neither  sun 
nor  moon,  "  for  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof,"  and 
he  tries  to  pattern  his  church  after  that.  A  little  or- 
gan is  on  the  platform,  at  which  Katherine  sits  Sun- 
day after  Sunday.  She  leads  the  choir,  her  voice 
being  the  only  trained  one;  and  as  she  sits  there 
this  morning  and  looks  at  her  singers,  as  she  calls 
the  young  men  and  women  sitting  on  the  platform 
on  the  extreme  left,  and  then  at  her  father  as  he 
bends  over  the  plain  pulpit  just  large  enough  to 
hold  his  Bible  and  hymnal,  she  feels  that  there  is 
no  church  in  the  world  half  so  beautiful. 

Over  the  platform  are  several  scriptural  banners, 
the  most  prominent  being  "  They  were  all  of  one 
heart  to  make  Jesus  King."  The  seats  (for  they 
are  not  pews)  are  clearly  utilitarian,  and  no  unneces- 
sary softness  lingers  around  them ;  but  they  are  free, 
and  the  stranger  has  only  to  enter  and  choose 
whichever  he  pleases.  And  what  a  congregation  it 
is !  Men  and  women  who  were  formerly  Hebrews, 
Sceptics,  Roman  Catholics,  and  spiritually  dead 
Protestants  who  had  nothing  of  the  Reformation 
left  except  the  self-appointed  right  to  protest.  Back 
on  those  seats  are  sitting  men  and  women  whose 


Brought  to  Bay  221 

lives  were  dedicated  to  sin  and  impurity,  and  who 
come  now  to  sing  God's  praises,  and  to  pray  for  a 
grander  purity  than  they  have  ever  known.  Deep 
thinkers  and  quiet  scholars,  who  have  found  in  God 
what  they  failed  to  find  in  science,  sit  side  by  side 
with  the  wash-woman  who  cries  "  Hallelujah " 
every  few  moments,  and  with  the  poor  working-man 
who  comes  here  because  he  understands  the  simple, 
eloquent  words  of  the  preacher.  And  how  the 
preacher  talks  to-day!  How  his  words  burn  into 
the  souls  of  his  hearers !  They  lean  forward  on 
their  seats  to  catch  every  inflection  of  his  deep  voice, 
and  to  catch  the  glow  in  his  black  eyes  and  the 
vigorous  Christian  manhood  that  his  well-knitted 
figure  and  powerful  arms  reveal  as  he  walks  to  and 
fro.  He  is  quiet,  calm,  and  argumentative  one  mo- 
ment, and  the  next  instant  the  building  is  filled  with 
the  sound  of  the  impassioned  words  he  utters,  and 
his  hands,  and  the  very  movements  of  his  head,  are 
so  eloquent  and  so  descriptive  of  his  theme  that 
listeners  follow  him  as  few  preachers  ever  get  their 
congregation  to  listen. 

It  is  Communion  Sunday,  and  the  sermon  is 
shorter  than  usual.  Mr.  Grey  receives  the  Lord's 
Supper  with  the  others.  He  is  sitting  facing  the 
pulpit,  and  there  is  a  defiant  look  in  his  eyes  when 
they  meet  the  preacher's  kind  ones  that  say  nothing 
at  all  except  a  little  reproach. 


222  Souls  in  Pawn 

The  Lord's  Supper  at  the  Church  of  the  Good 
Tidings  is  always  a  solemn  event,  and  to-day  there 
seems  to  be  more  of  a  hush  than  ever  as  the  bread 
divine  is  passed  around.  When  it  is  over,  the  min- 
ister stands  before  his  people  for  a  moment,  and 
they,  awaiting  the  usual  benediction,  are  surprised 
to  note  that  there  is  a  little  tremor  in  his  voice  as 
he  makes  the  unusual  announcement  that  Miss 
Irving  had  something  to  say. 

"  You  are  all  Christians,  of  course,"  he  says,  with 
the  same  tremor.  "  Only  Christians  remain  to  the 
Lord's  Supper.  However,  should  anyone  who  is 
not  a  believer  have  remained  as  a  witness  of  the 
holy  ceremony,  I  ask  him  to  please  withdraw,  as 
this  talk  is  only  to  Christians  who  are  either  mem- 
bers of  the  church  or  are  affiliated  with  us  as  mem- 
bers of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ."  But  no  one 
leaves,  and  he  nods  quietly  to  Katherine  and  smiles 
at  John,  who  is  sitting  a  few  seats  behind  the 
Christian  Merchant. 

As  Katherine  walks  to  the  pulpit,  her  queenly 
little  head  held  aloft  and  her  brown  eyes  full  of  light 
and  determination,  he  feels  she  has  taken  the  right 
course.  He  has  been  praying  about  it,  and,  much 
as  he  dislikes  the  whole  thing  and  greatly  as  he 
fears  that  believers  will  be  found  for  the  horrible 
story,  he  admires  his  daughter  as  she  looks  down 


Brought  to  Bay  223 

and  into  the  eyes  of  the  people,  and  wins  them  with 
the  very  sweetness  of  her  glance.  They  all  know 
her  and  love  her.  She  knows  they  do,  and  she 
loves  them ;  but  she  knows,  too,  that  she  has  some 
power  that  has  been  rapidly  developed  in  her  soul 
ever  since  her  conversion,  that  wins  the  sympathy 
of  people  for  her  without  any  attempt  on  her  part 
to  have  it  do  so.  But  she  is  humble  for  all  that, 
and  yet  she  knows  how  to  use  her  gift  in  a  good 
cause.  She  has  never  prostituted  it,  and  has  never 
attempted  to  win  a  heart  for  herself;  it  has  always 
been  that  it  might  be  led  to  God.  She  looks  at  Mr. 
Grey,  who  is  smiling  quizzically  and  yet  a  little 
wonderingly,  and  then  she  turns  slowly  from  him 
to  the  people,  and  her  clear,  bell-like  voice  falls  on 
their  ears. 

"  My  dear  friends,  my  brothers  and  sisters,"  she 
says,  leaning  over  the  pulpit  and  talking  down  to 
them  in  a  quiet  conversational  way, "  it  is  an  unpleas- 
ant thing  for  me  to  come  to  you  to  accuse  one  who 
was  with  us  in  the  fold  of  Christ,  and  who  is  trying 
to  wound  and  hurt  and  wrong  me  because  I  snatched 
from  him  one  of  our  weak  little  sisters  whom  he  was 
trying  to  drive  to  perdition.  You  who  know  me, 
I  think,  know  that  I  believe  in  forgiveness,  in  love 
and  in  forbearance,  but  that  I  believe,  too,  that 
hypocrisy  must  not  be  fitted  by  religion  with  a  cloak 


224  Souls  in  Pawn 

and  allowed  to  defile  the  temple  of  God.  Our  Christ 
never  spoke  harshly  except  to  the  self-righteous 
hypocrite,  and,  if  He  drove  the  money-changers  out 
of  the  temple,  what  are  we  to  do  to  the  man  who 
traffics  in  souls  and  shields  himself  behind  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  cross  ?  I  am  sorry,  oh,  so  sorry,  to  have 
to  talk  to  you  on  this  topic,  but  as  I  believe  that 
God  stands  by  the  truth,  and  that  its  voice  is  its 
own  defence,  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  sad  story, 
reminding  you,  however,  that  we  are  to  be  kind." 

Katherine's  voice  had  changed  its  ring  so  many 
times  as  she  went  on,  and  the  light  in  her  face  had 
risen  and  set  and  hovered  around  her  pleading  eyes 
in  so  many  ways,  that  her  listeners  could  not  keep 
their  wondering,  horrified  eyes  off  her  face.  Not 
so,  Mr.  Grey.  He  was  taken  by  surprise,  and  was 
thoroughly  frightened.  All  the  color  seemed  to 
have  left  his  face,  and  he  sat  with  a  perfectly  help- 
less look,  his  chin  resting  on  his  breast  as  if  no 
life  was  left  in  him.  What  would  he  do?  What 
would  he  say?  She  was  going  to  accuse  him,  and 
everyone  who  looked  at  him  would  know  he  was 
guilty.  Shame  !  shame  !  and  they  had  known  him 
for  so  many  years.  He  had  prayed  with  them, 
counselled  them,  warned  them,  and  been  looked 
upon  as  a  man  of  God.  There  was  her  voice  again. 
Oh,  would  she  ever  stop  ?  She  was  looking  at  him 


Brought  to  Bay  225 

and  telling  of  the  letter  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  received 
from  Alice.  Now  she  is  describing  how  she  fol- 
lowed the  hypocrite,  how  he  pleaded  for  mercy,  and 
then  became  threatening  when  he  saw  that  he  would 
not  be  allowed  to  wear  his  cloak  any  longer. 

"  Not  that  I  would  have  given  his  name  or  told 
his  sin  to  anybody,"  said  Katherine.  "  I  only 
wished  him  to  leave  our  work." 

She  continues  her  description,  and  Mr.  Grey  feels 
that  her  eyes  are  upon  him,  and  that  he  can  contain 
himself  no  longer.  Something  must  be  done.  He 
feels  that  his  knees  are  shaking,  and  that  he  is 
powerless  to  move  hand  or  foot,  but  by  a  great 
effort  he  raises  himself  to  his  feet,  and  by  a  greater 
effort  he  speaks.  His  voice  is  husky  and  scarcely 
audible,  and  he  moistens  his  lips  with  his  tongue 
several  times  as  he  proceeds. 

"  Say  no  more,  Miss  Irving,"  he  says,  pleadingly, 
"  let  the  sinner  be  still  nameless.  I  know  him,  and 
he  has  confessed  his  sin,  and  will  call  on  you  this 
evening  and  ask  for  your  forgiveness  on  his  knees." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that,  Mr.  Grey  ?  "  Katherine 
says,  kindly. 

"  Yes,  I  am  positive,"  he  replies,  in  a  low  voice, 
and  the  people  think  that  good  Brother  Grey  is 
weeping  over  the  sinner. 

Katherine  hesitates.  It  is  not  an  honest  confes- 
15 


226  Souls  in  Pawn 

sion ;  it  is  not  even  repentance ;  it  is  the  fear  of  being 
found  out,  and  yet  she  does  not  want  to  punish  him, 
so  she  says,  "Very  well,  let  it  be  so";  and  then, 
turning  to  the  people,  she  says,  "  I  thank  you  for 
your  sympathetic  attention,  and  now  I  ask  your 
prayers  that  our  brother's  repentance  be  a  sincere 
one,  and  that  God's  forgiveness  may  rest  upon  him 
to-day.  He  is  our  brother,  you  know,  isn't  he  ?  " 

She  smiles  sweetly,  but  there  is  no  affirmative 
answer  in  the  faces  she  looks  at,  and  she  quotes, 
"  While  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us." 
She  pauses  for  about  two  minutes,  during  which 
she  looks  with  her  soft,  strange,  winning  look  into 
every  face  present,  and  then  she  says  with  her  very 
soul  in  her  voice,  "  God  bless  you,  my  dear  friends." 

"  Let  that  be  our  closing  benediction,"  says  her 
father,  quietly,  and  the  people  leave  their  seats  and 
file  out  into  the  street,  indignant,  sad,  and  perplexed, 
but  more  in  love  with  their  organist  than  ever. 
Organist,  forsooth !  She  was  the  real  shepherd  of 
the  sheep,  and  her  father  knew  after  that  scene  that 
she  was.  He  might  stir  them  with  his  voice,  but 
she  melted  their  hearts  with  her  look. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MIRTH    AND    MADNESS 

THERE  is  a  ring  at  the  bell,  and  Katherine  starts 
a  little  uneasily.  For  some  reason  she  is  strangely 
nervous.  She  has  been  thinking  of  Richard  a  great 
deal,  and  a  little  of  Mr.  Grey,  for  whom  she  tried 
hard  to  pray  several  times,  and  failed.  There  was 
a  strong  feeling  in  her  heart  that  he  had  taken  the 
only  opportunity  possible  to  get  himself  out  of  a 
hard  place,  but  that  his  penitence  amounted  to  noth- 
ing, and  a  great  sigh  of  relief  went  up  from  her 
heart  when  Katie  Finnegan,  and  not  the  one  she 
was  expecting,  entered  the  parlor.  Katie  had 
grown  used  to  taking  baths,  and,  in  fact,  had  be- 
come quite  fond  of  them,  and  there  was  a  bright 
flush  on  her  healthy,  happy  face,  and  a  twinkle  in 
her  gray  eyes  that  hid  the  ugly  squint  entirely.  She 
had  a  neat  hat  that  sat  jauntily  on  her  thick,  black 
hair,  and  a  pretty  blue  dress  and  jacket  so  com- 
pletely transformed  the  president  of  the  Finnegan 
Association  that  the  only  way  Katherine  could  ex- 
press her  surprise  was  to  kiss  her  and  say,  "  What  a 
handsome  girl  my  Katie  is  getting  to  be  sure." 
227 


228  Souls  in  Pawn 

Katie  blushed  a  rich  red,  and  twined  her  arms  in 
baby  fashion  about  Katherine's  neck.  Then  she 
looked  with  her  own  gray  into  the  soft,  brown  eyes 
bending  above  her,  and  her  lips  trembled  a  little 
and  her  eyes  drooped  in  a  shamefaced  way  as  she 
said,  "  Kiss  me,  Miss  Irving." 

It  was  the  first  expression  of  sentiment  Katherine 
had  ever  seen  in  Katie,  and  she  was  as  surprised  as 
if  she  had  had  a  proposal  of  marriage.  But  she 
complied  with  the  grace  she  was  such  a  past  mistress 
of,  and  a  light  that  was  worshipful  shone  in  the 
eyes  of  the  little  redeemed  Philistine.  For  a  mo- 
ment Katie  was  tempted  to  fall  on  her  knees  and 
lay  the  promise  of  a  life-long  devotion  at  the  feet  of 
her  patron  saint,  for  all  the  Irish  warmth  and  loyalty 
in  her  was  stirred,  but  a  something  in  her  soul,  that 
was  a  fine  strength  Katie  Finnegan  had  never  sus- 
pected she  possessed,  told  her  not  to  do  it,  for  it 
would  be  weak  and  emotional,  and  so  she  sat  beside 
her  idol  instead. 

"  I  brought  me  family  home  to-day,  I  did,  Miss 
Irving." 

"Oh,  I  am  glad,"  said  Katherine.  "Tell  me 
about  it,  dear." 

"  Well,  you  know,  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  paid  de  bills, 
found  dem  board,  and  did  de  t'ing  hansome." 

"  She  is  good  to  you,  isn't  she,  Katie  ?  " 


Mirth  and  Madness  229 

"  Good !  you  bet  she  is ;  but,  do  ye  know,  Miss 
Irving,  I  like  you  a  hundred  times  better.  'Tain't 
right,  I  don't  believe;  for  she  deserves  me  to  kiss 
de  ground  she  walks  on,  but  it's  your  ground  I'm 
lovin'  all  de  day." 

"  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  would  not  want  to  take  any  of 
that  joy  away  from  me,  dear,"  said  Katherine, 
caressing  the  black  head  so  near  her.  "  You  are 
true  to  her  and  you  love  her,  too.  Now,  tell  me 
about  the  little  ones." 

"Tell  you?  I  can't,  but  come  an'  have  dinner 
wid  us — say,  Miss  Irving,  will  ye  ?  "  There  was  a 
bright,  pleading  light  in  Katie's  eyes  that  Katherine 
could  not  resist.  With  the  subtle  intuition  she  was 
possessed  of,  she  knew  Katie  would  be  wounded  if 
she  refused,  and  yet  she  was  expecting  Mr.  Grey, 
and  certainly  John  ought  to  be  here  now.  John  is 
here.  He  rushes  in,  his  face  full  of  a  glad  greeting, 
and  Katherine  asks  her  hostess  to  include  him  in 
the  invitation.  Then  she  leaves  a  note  for  Mr. 
Grey  saying  she  will  return  in  an  hour,  and  the 
three  go  out  into  the  street. 

"The  restaurant  ain't  far  from  here,"  explained 
Katie.  "  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  was  goin'  to  give  us  a 
spread  at  de  house,  but  de  kids  wouldn't  enjoy  it 
half  as  much.  My  stars,  but  'twill  be  like  old  times ! 
Ye  know,  we  used  all  save  up  our  nickels  w'en  we 


230  Souls  in  Pawn 

lived  wid  me  aunt,  an'  bolt  to  dis  place  on  Sunday 
an'  have  a  good  time — my !  but  dis  is  good." 

"  God  is  good,  isn't  He,  Katie,"  said  Katherine, 
squeezing  her  friend's  hand. 

"  Don't  talk  about  Him;  I  can't  stand  it,  Miss." 

There  was  not  much  in  this  statement,  but  Kath- 
erine and  John  understood  the  love  in  that  simple 
heart  for  her  Saviour,  and  they  said  nothing. 

"  Oh,  dem  orphinages  breaks  me  all  up,"  said 
Katie.  "  To  see  dat  great,  big,  lonesome  room,  an' 
de  poor  kids  troopin'  in  an'  hugged  by  mudders  in 
black  an'  lonesome-lookin'  faders,  an'  de  tears  fallin' 
an'  sobs  chokin'  'em  up,  an'  dey  all  beggin'  to  go 
home.  Some  o'  dems  got  used  ter  it,  an'  dey  just 
say  nawthin'  an'  chaw  apples  de  visitors  bring  'em, 
an'  answers  ques'ns  when  dey're  put  ter  'em.  Deyre 
was  wan  woman  came  dere  to-day  in  black.  She 
was  young,  'bout  t'irty,  I  guess,  an'  she  asked  for 
her  little  boy,  Jimmy.  Wen  de  kid  came  out  she 
ran  to  de  door  and  caught  him  up  and  pulled  her 
shawl  round  him,  an'  dey  both  cried  togedder  an' 
kissed  each  odder,  an'  talked  so  old-fashioned  like 
'bout  de  times  w'en  dey'd  be  togedder  again.  But 
dey  never  will.  She  got  old  '  con '  sure  (I  mean 
consumption),  for  she  coughed  de  whole  time — oh, 
here's  de  place.  Jumbo !  dey're's  de  kids  inside !  " 

Katherine  and  John  looked,  and,  through  the  win- 


Mirth  and  Madness  231 

dow  of  the  little  Seventh  Avenue  lunch-room,  they 
could  see  a  boy  and  two  girls  sitting  on  stools  ranged 
around  a  long  counter,  inside  which  several  wait- 
resses were  busy.  Fruit,  pie,  and  puddings  were 
ranged  around,  and  these  the  youngsters  were  dis- 
cussing earnestly,  but  when  they  saw  Katie  they  set 
up  a  howl  of  welcome  that  disturbed  everybody  ex- 
cept that  well-balanced  little  dame. 

"  Devil  on  toast,"  cried  the  waitress. 

"  What  ?  "  exclaimed  Katherine. 

"  Oh,  dat  means  devilled  ham  on  toast,"  explained 
Katie. 

Just  then  a  bald-headed  old  man  whispered  his 
order,  and  the  same  waitress  announced  it  as 
"  scramble  with  a  hot  griddle."  This  did  not  mean 
that  the  old  gentleman  was  going  to  go  through 
any  extraordinary  gyrations,  but  that  scrambled 
eggs  and  hot  griddle-cakes  were  needed. 

"  What's  yer  order  ?  "  asked  the  waitress,  coming 
up  to  John,  but  he  looked  helpless,  and  Katie  said, 
nonchalantly :  "  Bring  two  clubs  for  dis  lady  an* 
gent,  four  minutes  for  Petie,  an'  Philadelphia  for 
Nora,  Mary,  an'  me.  Bring  Vienna  on  a  side  dish, 
an'  wet  all  round." 

The  waitress  repeated  the  order  to  the  man  be- 
hind the  scenes,  and  it  was  translated  on  dishes  in 
a  few  moments  as  club  sandwiches,  eggs  boiled  four 


232  Souls  in  Pawn  t 

minutes,  Philadelphia  chicken,  Vienna  rolls,  and 
coffee.  The  children  ate  with  gusto,  and  pinched 
each  other  in  the  legs  for  amusement.  They 
screamed  in  unison  at  John's  funny  stories,  and 
poked  fun  at  the  waitress's  false  hair,  and  only 
winked  at  her  when  she  glared  at  them.  But  it  was 
a  happy  party,  and  Katherine  and  John  felt  as  if 
they  had  never  enjoyed  such  a  Sunday  dinner. 
Katherine  had  to  kiss  all  the  little  Finnegans  and 
gladly  kissed  Katie  twice,  and  then  she  and  John 
made  their  way  back  to  the  parsonage,  where  Mr. 
Grey  was  awaiting  them. 

"  I  want  to  see  you  alone,  Miss  Irving,"  he  says, 
passing  his  hand  wearily  across  his  head,  and  brave 
little  Katherine  says,  "  Of  course."  John  hesitates 
for  a  moment,  but  she  asks  him,  with  her  quiet,  as- 
suring smile,  to  step  into  the  library  for  a  few  mo- 
ments. As  he  reaches  the  door  she  says,  turning  to 
Mr.  Grey,  "  I  am  engaged  to  Mr.  Pierce,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  I  did  not  know,"  said  Mr.  Grey,  looking 
surprised.  "  Perhaps  he  had  better  remain,  after 
all." 

"  As  you  please ;  I  would  be  glad  to  have  him  do 
so,"  says  Katherine,  and  Mr.  Grey  understands  then 
that  Katherine  cannot  be  frightened  in  this  way,  so 
he  turns  away,  and  John  goes  out. 

Katherine  waits  for  her  visitor  to  speak,  but  he 


i.  Mirth  and  Madness  233 

stares  moodily  at  the  wall  for  several  minutes  and 
then  he  says :  "  Very  tragic,  wasn't  it  ?  What  an 
excellent  actress  you  would  make,  Miss  Irving." 

Katherine  stands  up  and  faces  him  and  says,  very 
quietly,  "  I  am  ready  to  pray  with  you  and  to  help 
you ;  only  in  doing  one  or  the  other  will  I  exchange 
a  word  with  you." 

"  You  tried  to  ruin  me  to-day,"  he  said,  as  if  talk- 
ing to  himself;  and  then  he  added,  abruptly, 
"  Would  you  like  to  know  where  Richard  Masterson 
is?" 

No  reply  comes  from  Katherine,  and  he  con- 
tinues, "  I  know  where  he  is,  and  be  assured  that 
he  will  be  here  at  the  right  time,  and  you  will  be 
shown  in  your  real  light."  Katherine  turns  to 
leave  the  room,  and  a  mad  light  leaps  into  the  eyes 
of  the  Christian  Merchant.  He  seizes  her  by  the 
arm  and  she  screams,  and  when  John  rushes  into  the 
room  they  are  struggling.  He  sees  a  bottle  in  Mr. 
Grey's  hand  and  he  knows  it  is  acid,  and  realizes  the 
fearful  danger  his  beloved  one  is  in.  Quick  as  a 
flash  he  fled  across  the  room,  and  seized  the  mad- 
man's hand  just  as  he  raised  the  bottle.  But  he  was 
not  quite  in  time,  as  Katherine's  scream  told  him, 
and,  when  he  had  beaten  the  frenzied  man  into  sub- 
mission, he  saw  that  she  had  fainted  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life,  and  that  all  one  side  of  her  beautiful 


234  Souls  in  Pawn 

face  was  burned  and  disfigured.  Then  the  brute 
rose  within  John,  and  he  felt  as  if  he  could  have  torn 
to  pieces  the  wretched  man  panting  and  moaning 
in  the  chair. 

"  My  darling !  my  angel  girl !  my  peerless  woman 
of  women !  "  he  said,  stooping  down  and  taking  her 
into  his  arms,  and  just  then  Dr.  Irving  came  in 
from  the  street  and  into  the  room.  He  stood  at  the 
door,  transfixed  there  like  the  slow-blooded,  well- 
controlled  man  that  he  was;  he  set  his  teeth  to- 
gether, and,  going  up  to  Mr.  Grey,  said,  "  Have  you 
harmed  her?" 

Mr.  Grey  sobbed  and  clung  to  him  as  a  frightened 
child  would,  and  John,  looking  at  the  two,  said, 
"  Bring  Mrs.  Gleason  here,  and  send  some  one  for 
the  doctor." 

The  minister  obeyed,  but  he  was  trembling  in 
every  limb,  and,  when  Mrs.  Gleason  sobbed  her  soft 
Irish  lamentations  over  his  darling,  he  looked  on 
almost  as  stupidly  as  Mr.  Grey  did.  But  he  did  not 
feel  stupid.  He  was  only  wondering  whether  she 
was  living  or  dead,  and  what  he  ought  to  do  to  her 
murderer.  John  bore  Katherine  to  the  window,  and 
Mrs.  Gleason  applied  some  restoratives,  and  the 
minister  remained  with  his  hand  grasping  Mr. 
Grey's  shoulder.  And  then  across  his  soul  there 
flashed  a  message  from  God  that  said,  "  Vengeance 


Mirth  and  Madness  235 

is  mine,  I  will  repay  " ;  and,  after  that,  something 
said  to  him :"  It  is  to  save  such  as  he  that  Christ 
died.  If  God  gave  His  own  Son,  will  you  not  give 
your  child  in  His  service  ?  Now  is  the  time  to  prove 
if  you  believe  what  you  preach." 

"  I  do,  my  heavenly  Father,"  he  said,  going  over 
to  where  Katherine  was.  "  I  give  her  to  you  if  I 
need  to  prove  it,  but  would  God  I  had  died  for  her." 

Just  then  Katherine  revived,  but  the  pain  was  so 
intense  that  she  fainted  again,  and  the  physician 
looked  exceedingly  grave  when  he  arrived.  He 
sent  for  a  trained  nurse  immediately,  and,  after  treat- 
ing the  burns  and  giving  her  something  to  allay  the 
awful  agony,  he  left  her  in  charge  of  the  nurse. 

"  Of  course,  you  will  notify  the  police  at  once," 
he  said  to  the  minister.  "  I  do  not  think  her  eyes 
are  injured,  but  she  will  suffer  a  good  deal,  and  her 
beauty  is  gone  forever." 

John's  voice  was  then  heard  calling,  and,  when 
the  doctor  of  medicine  went  downstairs,  they  found 
him  guarding  a  madman. 

"  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  said  the  doctor  of 
divinity. 

"  Morphine,  dissipation,  and  excitement,"  said 
the  doctor  of  medicine,  but  both  diagnoses  amount- 
ed to  the  same  thing,  for  God's  laws  are  written  in 
the  Book  and  in  the  human  body  with  the  same 
pen. 


WHOM  GOD  HATH  JOINED  " 

MANY  weeks  passed  along  wearily  before  Kath- 
erine  was  able  to  get  out  of  her  bed.  Alice  and 
Katie  Finnegan  nursed  her  day  and  night,  and  her 
father  and  John  were  untiring  in  their  love  and  de- 
votion. Hundreds  of  unanswered  letters  breathing 
love  and  prayer  and  hope  were  in  her  little  desk,  and 
she  loved  to  read  them  all  over  and  over,  but  none 
touched  her  heart  as  did  the  missives  from  Sing 
Sing  Prison,  where  many  redeemed  men  were  ask- 
ing their  newly  found  Father  to  spare  the  life  of  her 
who  had  brought  them  to  the  light.  And  there 
were  letters  from  the  keepers  and  the  warden,  all 
telling  how  deeply  she  was  loved  by  the  men  she 
had  been  the  means  of  leading  to  Christ ;  how  hope- 
fully they  were  looking  forward  to  her  recovery,  and 
how  a  visible  change  had  been  taking  place  in  the 
men's  conduct  ever  since  her  first  visit  there.  In- 
deed, it  was  said  that  the  entire  discipline  was  so 
changed  that  the  officials  were  as  anxious  to  have 
her  back  as  were  the  men. 
236 


"Whom  God  Hath  Joined"        237 

The  little  girls  of  the  Finnegan  Association 
brought  flowers  several  times  a  week,  and  Katie 
read  her  long  reports  (always  original  and  amus- 
ing), that  told  of  the  progress  of  the  club.  It  had 
its  own  rooms  now,  for  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  took  up  with 
vigor  the  work  Katherine  was  compelled  to  lay 
down,  and  the  name  of  the  association  had  been 
changed  at  the  request  of  the  modest  president  to 
the  "  Fidelity  Club,"  the  latter,  indeed,  being  se- 
lected by  Katherine  after  they  had  all  insisted  on 
calling  it  "  The  Irving  Association."  Alice  and  a 
young  college  woman  were  teaching  domestic  sci- 
ence and  physical  culture ;  Katie  gave  moral  lectures 
that  made  up  in  freshness,  truth,  and  appropriate- 
ness what  they  lacked  in  good  grammar,  and  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer  prayed,  and  John  tried  to  play  the  violin 
and  be  happy. 

It  is  a  wet,  dreary  morning.  There  is  a  constant 
drizzling  downfall  of  rain  that  is  not  only  wet  but 
cold,  and  the  New  York  sidewalks  are  unpleasant 
places  to  be  walking  on.  A  heavy  mist  hangs  over 
the  city,  and  the  lonesome  sound  of  the  fog-horns 
on  the  river  falls  on  Katherine's  ears  as  she  sits 
at  the  window  of  her  room.  Alice  has  gone  out; 
and  so  she  is  alone,  and  glad  of  it,  for  sad,  sad 
thoughts  are  the  only  ones  her  brain  seems  anxious 
to  entertain.  She  thought  of  Mr.  Grey  in  the  insane 


238  Souls  in  Pawn 

asylum,  and  earnest  prayers  for  him  and  his  poor 
wife  (who  nearly  went  mad  over  the  disclosure  that 
had  to  be  made)  went  up  from  her  heart.  She 
thought,  too,  of  the  poor  suicide's  lonely  grave,  and 
of  Richard,  "  poor,  poor  Richard,"  for  the  spiritual 
love  that  was  born  in  her  heart  for  him  had  never 
died.  Only  pain  had  been  added  to  it.  Where  was 
he  ?  What  had  happened  to  him  ?  She  sighed,  and 
her  eyes  were  wet  as  the  coat  which  she  rested  her 
head  against  when  John  came  in  out  of  the  cold  to 
cheer  her  and  call  her  his  own  brave  sufferer  and 
his  guardian  angel,  and  to  kiss  every  tear  away. 

"  Hand  me  the  mirror,  Johnnie,  dear,"  she  said, 
and,  when  he  reluctantly  did,  she  examined  the  ugly 
scars  on  the  right  side  of  her  face  and  said,  a  little 
wistfully,  "  I  wish  I  could  have  been  spared  this, 
Johnnie,  for  your  sake." 

"  It  was  the  soul  that  shone  in  that  beautiful  face 
I  loved,  and  that  is  still  there,  darling,"  he  said,  and 
she  looked  again  in  the  mirror  and  said :  "  Like 
Paul,  I  will  carry  about  in  my  body  the  marks  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  He  loves  me,  and  you  do.  I  do 
not  think  that  I  will  ever  mind  it  again,  darling." 

"  My  queen,  my  queen ! "  he  cried,  drawing  her 
closer  to  him,  and,  like  a  tired,  happy  child,  she 
rested  her  head  on  his  shoulder  and  listened  to  his 
words  of  devotion  and  tenderness,  and  his  promises 
for  her  future  happiness. 


"Whom  God  Hath  Joined"        239 

"  My  happiness  is  in  His  dear  hands,  as  is  yours, 
my  boy,"  she  said,  when  she  spoke.  "  If  we  are  true 
to  Him  no  cloud  will  ever  come  between  us." 

"  Katherine,"  said  John,  very  earnestly,  "  I  wish 
we  were  married." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Katherine,  simply. 

"  Then  let  us,  darling." 

"  Oh,  not  to-day,  Johnnie." 

"  To-morrow,  then,  if  you  are  well  enough." 

"  Yes,  darling,  to-morrow,"  said  Katherine. 
"  Go  and  tell  my  father." 

******* 

The  rain  had  all  gone  away,  and  the  little  pools  of 
water  that  still  remained  in  the  streets  had  the  glint 
of  the  sunlight  in  them.  It  was  the  same  sunlight 
that  stole  brightly  and  softly  into  the  parlor  of  the 
parsonage  and  fell  on  the  pale,  little  bride  and  the 
happy  bridegroom-elect.  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  and  Alice 
and  Katie  Finnegan,  and  the  few  other  invited 
friends,  got  their  share  of  the  brightness,  too ;  and 
the  clergyman  must  have,  also,  because  the  sun- 
shine from  within  and  without  was  mirrored  on  his 
face.  He  gave  them  to  each  other  in  the  love  of 
Christ,  and  they  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and 
found  half  the  world  there.  The  other  half  was  only 
to  be  found  by  laboring  together  in  Christ's  king- 
dom, and  they  knew  it. 


240  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Oh,  God  keep  you  ever  and  bless  you — oh,  so 
much !  "  sobbed  Alice.  She  looked  at  the  scars,  and 
knew  they  were  there  because  of  her,  and  she  said 
no  word;  but  Katherine  understood  it  all  and 
whispered,  "  My  own  dear  sister,  my  precious  girl. 
You  are  dearer  to  me  because  I  suffered  for  you." 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  "  the  girl  asked,  with  her 
soul  in  her  eyes. 

"  Be  true  to  Him,  darling,"  said  Katherine. 

"  For  ever,"  said  Alice,  and  she  kept  her  word. 

"  Three  cheers  for  Mrs.  Pierce !  May  she — may 
_I_P >» 

It  was  all  Katie  Finnegan's  tears  would  allow  her 
to  say,  and  no  one  else  attempted  to  say  anything. 

"  To-day  is  Wednesday,"  said  Katherine,  after  a 
long  pause.  "  John  and  I  are  to  go  to  some  little 
spot  on  the  Hudson  which  he  has  discovered,  until 
Sunday.  Then  we  will  go  to  Sing  Sing  Prison, 
and  how  I  shall  enjoy  being  there  again,  and 
with " 

Katherine  said  no  more,  but  the  others  under- 
stood, and  John  grew  several  inches  in  his  own 
estimation  and  said,  "  If  you  had  not  added  that,  I 
would  have  left  you  there." 

Of  course  everybody  had  to  laugh  at  this,  though 
for  some  strange  reason  they  all  felt  more  like  cry- 
ing, and  then  Katherine  slipped  into  the  library  to 
say  good-by  to  her  father. 


"Whom  God  Hath  Joined"         241 

"  God  be  with  you,  my  baby,"  he  said,  speaking 
to  her  as  he  was  wont  to  do  when  the  brown  eyes 
were  altogether  roguish,  with  none  of  the  serious- 
ness that  is  in  them  to-day. 

"  You  are  to  be  a  great  woman,  I  feel  sure,  but — 
but,  my  little  girl,  I  almost  wish  you  were  a  baby 
again." 

It  was  very  natural  that  they  should  both  cry 
then,  for  they  thought  of  those  days  when  papa 
was  the  most  wonderful  man  in  all  the  world,  and 
baby  the  most  wonderful  girlie,  and  when  there 
was  no  suffering  and  no  John  and  nobody,  only 
themselves  and  another  dear  one  who  had  crossed 
to  the  beyond.  But  then  Katherine  kissed  her 
father  and  fondled  his  hands  and  told  him  how  good 
John  was  and  how  good  they  would  both  be  to 
their  dear  father,  and  that  they  should  laugh  on  her 
wedding-day  and  thank  God  for  all  His  goodness 
and  for  the  many  "  boys  "  and  "  girls  "  into  whose 
lives  she  was  going  to  enter  in  the  future.  So  they 
laughed  and  were  glad  and  parted. 

While  they  sped  on  their  wedding  tour,  the 
convict's  bonds  were  burning  into  the  soul  of 
Richard  Masterson,  whom  the  prison  register  knew 
as  Martin  Richards,  and  the  keepers  by  a  number 
that  had  four  figures  in  it. 
16 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

WITHIN  THE  WALLS  OF  SING  SING 

"  MY  heart  longs  for  a  sight  of  her  as  the  drown- 
ing man  longs  for  the  approaching  sail  that  is  to 
save  him,  as  the  repentant  sinner  longs  for  the 
peace  of  God — ah,  yes,  and  as  the  tired  traveller 
dying  of  thirst  craves  for  the  pure  spring  by  the 
wayside." 

Richard  leaned  his  hands  on  his  head.  Some- 
how, the  words,  "  pure  spring,"  recalled  far-away 
days  from  which  sprang  memories  of  a  beautiful 
country  home  back  in  the  fields,  where  a  hot- 
headed, impulsive  boy  ran  around  and  looked 
across  the  meadows  to  the  railway  that  he  knew 
led  on  to  the  big  city.  Oh,  those  early  days !  The 
noble  longings — for  every  one  was  noble  then, 
though  misunderstood — came  back  to  him  now. 
He  was  going  to  conquer  the  world,  going  to  prove 
to  his  father  and  mother  that  he  had  talent  and 
ability,  that  the  world  needed  him  to  make  it  better. 
How  he  used  to  preach  of  goodness  and  patriotism 
and  bravery,  with  only  the  birds  and  the  squirrels 
242 


Within  the  Walls  of  Sing  Sing      243 

for  an  audience.  And  what  songs  he  wrote !  Songs 
that  were  to  stir  the  sluggish  blood  in  unromantic 
hearts,  for  Richard  loved  God  and  nature  and  his 
country  then,  but  an  untrained,  haughty  mother 
had  determined  that  he  was  to  be  a  man  of  cold 
business,  and  his  father  knew  that  all  boys  were 
foolish,  and  tried  to  prove  to  him  that  the  man  who 
succeeds  in  life  and  counts  his  success  in  money  is 
the  only  man  worthy  of  the  name.  He  himself  had 
succeeded.  He  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in 
his  town,  but  Richard  did  not  care  for  that.  He 
loved  life  and  color;  he  longed  to  be  free,  to  be  a 
man  who  would  become  something,  not  do  some- 
thing, and  alas,  alas,  here  he  is  in  Sing  Sing 
Prison ! 

From  his  cell  he  hears  the  cry  of  a  child.  Per- 
haps it  is  some  little  one  who  comes  to  see  a  con- 
vict father,  or  maybe  it  is  a  child  being  carried 
around  by  some  visitor  to  be  taught  a  moral  lesson 
by  the  wretches  he  sees.  Richard  groans  and  calls 
for  Stevie,  and  lower  and  lower  sinks  his  head. 

He  takes  a  letter  out  of  his  pocket  and  reads : 

"DEAR  DICK:— 

Sorry  to  hear  of  your  plight,  but  I  cannot  do 
anything  for  you  on  account  of  circumstances.  I 
called  on  your  wife  to  sympathize  with  her,  and 
found  she  was  not  yours  at  all,  but  mine,  the  girl 


244  Souls  in  Pawn 

I  once  told  you  of.  Jennie  asks  me  to  ask  you  to 
forgive  her  for  the  deception;  but  she  says  you 
never  loved  her,  and  she  pleaded  so  hard  to  be  for- 
given by  me,  saying  that  it  was  I  who  drove  her  to 
do  wrong,  by  my  wrong  doing;  that  I  have  for- 
given her.  I  never  knew  she  had  any  idea  that  I 
was  a  bad  chap  in  those  days,  but  I  loved  her  all 
the  same,  and  I  guess  one  has  as  much  of  a  right 
to  be  wicked  as  another,  so  we  are  quits  now.  I 
love  Jennie,  and  always  have,  so  we're  going  away 
where  no  one  will  ever  find  us  and  begin  again. 
I  have  sold  the  saloon,  and  Lawyer  Williams,  our 
old  friend,  has  your  share,  $1,000.  You  will  get  it 
when  you  come  out.  Stevie  goes  with  us.  I  have 
a  bit  of  a  grudge  against  you,  Dick,  for  you  treated 
Jennie  badly. 

"  NED." 

"  Well,  he  has  been  pretty  honest,  anyhow,"  says 
Richard,  after  reading  the  letter.  The  lease  and 
place  were  in  his  name,  and  he  need  not  have  given 
me  a  dollar.  But  I  will  never  touch  it,  anyhow.  I 
am  free  now  to  love  and  marry,  but,"  bitterly,  "  I 
am  a  convict,  though  that  matters  little,  after  all,  to 
me,  for  Katherine  Irving  never  would  love  me  any- 
how. 

"  Oh,  how  mad  I  was,  how  blind,  how  conceited ! 
She  as  pure  as  the  dew  from  heaven !  I  a  leprous 
scoundrel !  She  with  her  great  ideals ;  I  with  mine 
dead  and  gone  long  ago — and  I  thought  she  would 


Within  the  Walls  of  Sing  Sing      245 

love  me ;  I  thought  her  kindness  was  affection ;  her 
pity  the  tenderness  that  was  in  her  heart  for  me !" 

Richard  paused  in  his  train  of  thinking  and  then 
said :  "  I  suppose  this  is  some  of  the  bitterness 
women  who  have  gone  wrong  have  to  taste.  Men 
rarely  have  to,  but  Katherine  is  not  like  other 
women.  Well,  if  I  only  had  Stevie  I  might  look 
up  again.  Oh,  God,  you  have  left  me  like  a  lone 
tree  stripped  by  the  forest  wind.  Please  destroy 
me,  for  my  heart  is  craving  for  something  to  fill  it, 
and  there  is  none  to  answer." 

It  is  the  first  honest  prayer  Richard  ever  uttered, 
and  God  heard  it  and  sends  back  to  his  heart  words 
Katherine  had  often  quoted,  "  Come  unto  Me  all 
ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give 
you  rest." 

"  Rest !  rest !  rest !  "  he  cries.  "  Oh,  to  rest  from 
longing  for  her ;  oh,  to  get  peace  in  my  heart.  Oh, 
God,  teach  me  to  forget  her  and  to  know  Thee. 
Oh,  Christ,  I  never  can  be  good  or  make  my  soul 
white,  but  You  died  for  me.  Please  do  it." 

Down  on  the  floor  of  his  cell  he  throws  himself, 
and  the  tears  run  down  his  face  while  his  soul  beats 
itself  in  agony  against  the  bars  put  up  by  its  own 
longings;  and  then  the  tender  Son  of  God  visits 
the  prisoner  in  his  cell  and  speaks  peace  to  the 
tempest-tossed  soul ;  and,  lo,  the  star  of  hope  shines 


246  Souls  in  Pawn 

into  the  room  of  sorrow  and  lights  it  with  a  light 
that  is  divine.  Faith,  too,  arises,  and  Richard 
ceases  to  worry  for  Stevie,  but  he  tells  his  God 
about  it  and  trusts  Him.  The  burden  of  his  daily 
prayer  becomes,  "  My  dear  Christ,  bless  Katherine 
and  her  father  and  Mr.  Pierce.  Let  me  live  to 
prove  that  I  love  Thee  and  am  not  a  hypocrite  now, 
and  bring  back  my  baby  to  me,  and — Thy  will  be 
done." 

He  would  long  for  Steve ;  but  his  tears  of  longing 
are  no  bitter  ones,  and  when  he  thinks  of  Katherine 
it  is  not  with  the  hope  that  he  may  win  her  love, 
but  that  she  may  yet  believe  in  him  and  know  her 
labors  have  not  been  in  vain. 

Richard  has  been  born  again  and  a  new  heart 
has  been  given  to  him. 

"  One  of  the  men  asked  me  to  request  you  to 
attend  services  in  the  chapel  this  morning,"  said 
one  of  the  keepers,  carelessly  opening  Richard's 
cell  door  on  Sunday  morning. 

"  Do  you  mean  one  of  the — the  convicts  ?  "  asked 
Richard. 

"  Yes,  a  converted  one." 

"  Tell  me  about  him,"  said  Richard,  his  interest 
being  suddenly  aroused,  and  a  longing  to  see  this 
man  who  was  like  himself  sprang  up  in  his  heart. 

"  Oh,  he  works  in  the  office — been  put  there  for 


Within  the  Walls  of  Sing  Sing      247 

good  conduct  since  his  conversion,  as  he  calls  it. 
Some  woman — blessed  if  I  know  who  she  is,  I  for- 
get her  name — preached  here  a  couple  of  Sundays 
and  all  the  fellows  liked  her.  Some  are  behaving 
better  ever  since.  I  didn't  hear  her  myself,  but 
some  of  the  other  keepers  says  she's  handsome  and 
speaks  in  an  entertaining  way.  Would  you  like  to 
hear  her  to-day  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Richard.  He  had  not  attended  the 
chapel  services  before,  but  he  was  anxious  to  go 
now,  though  no  thought  that  this  woman  was  his 
Katherine,  his  deliverer,  his  idol,  ever  entered  his 
heart.  She  was  in  the  heart  of  New  York,  China- 
town, or  in  her  father's  church  at  that  moment,  he 
assured  himself,  and  had,  of  course,  forgotten  all 
about  him.  But  he  would  like  to  hear  a  woman's 
voice  in  this  lonely  place,  and  especially  one  who 
told  about  Christ,  for  he  was  longing  to  know  more 
and  more  about  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life. 
And  so  it  was  that  he  went  to  the  chapel. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

A   KNIGHT   OF   THE   NEW    CHIVALRY 

THE  chapel  is  a  large  square  room,  dimly  lighted 
by  the  small  barred  windows.  At  one  end  of  the 
room  is  a  platform  with  a  railing  several  feet  high 
around  it,  and  here  is  stationed  the  little  parlor- 
organ  presided  over  by  a  convict  organist,  and  be- 
side him  are  the  twenty  men  who  compose  the 
choir.  They  are  all  in  the  prison  dress,  and  be- 
cause they  are,  it  is  quite  natural  that  the  casual 
visitor  should  pronounce  them  all  alike.  Quite 
natural,  I  said — well,  whether  it  is  or  not,  they  do, 
and  the  men  know  they  do.  Below  the  structure 
on  which  the  choir  is  stationed  is  the  platform  used 
as  a  pulpit,  its  only  furniture  being  a  reading-desk 
and  three  large  chairs.  A  student's  lamp  is  burn- 
ing brightly  and  doing  its  best  to  take  the  place 
of  the  sun's  rays  that  are  so  hopelessly  barred  out. 
The  "  pews "  are  only  wooden  benches  with  no 
backs  to  them,  but  even  these  are  gladly  appropri- 
ated by  the  early  arrivals,  and  the  later  ones  troop 
in  and  seek  for  places.  They  know  that  it  is  Kath- 
248 


A  Knight  of  the  New  Chivalry      249 

erine  who  is  to  speak,  and  being  assured  that  the 
place  would  be  filled,  they  have  thoughtfully  pro- 
vided themselves  with  the  little  stools  they  are 
allowed  to  have  in  their  cells,  and  so  they  file  up  the 
middle  aisle  and  try  to  make  themselves  as  comfort- 
able as  possible.  There  is  intense  eagerness  and 
expectancy  on  the  faces  of  everyone  present,  and 
quick  alert  glances,  and  others  more  slow  and  more 
cynical  are  directed  toward  the  door.  Some  im- 
pulsive ones  show  their  delight;  others,  with  that 
natural  reserve  that  is  found  even  in  prison,  hide 
their  expectancy,  and  others  (very  much  in  the 
minority)  make  scoffing  grimaces  and  smile  in  a 
superior  sort  of  way. 

The  organist  plays  something  that  is  soft,  sweet, 
and  soothing,  and  Richard  shuts  his  eyes  and  seems 
to  float  on  the  wings  of  that  musical  angel  to  the 
very  throne  of  God.  The  convict's  dress,  he  and 
the  other  men  wear,  are  shut  out ;  the  prison  walls 
are  forgotten;  the  black,  sad  past,  Katherine, 
Stevie,  Jennie  all  fade  away;  and  he  feels  himself 
caught  up  to  the  very  bosom  of  God.  The  men 
give  one  ringing  cheer  and  then,  in  a  glad  unison, 
they  sing,  "  Let  the  blessed  sunshine  in."  It  dis- 
turbs Richard  and  brings  him  back  to  himself,  and 
he  opens  his  eyes  slowly  and  then — the  stripes  on 
the  man's  clothes  in  front  of  him  all  run  into  one, 


250  Souls  in  Pawn 


r 


the  building  seems  to  be  moving,  the  singing  seems 
like  the  rush  of  some  mountain  stream,  and  he  is 
not  conscious  for  a  moment  of  who  he  himself  is. 
There  she  is  before  him,  but  so  changed!  She  is 
paler  and  thinner,  and  her  heavy  brown  hair  that 
crowns  her  forehead  only  emphasizes  her  paleness. 
The  mischievous  eyes  are  altogether  sad,  and  there 
is  something  in  the  slight  girlish  figure  that  brings 
the  tears  to  his  own.  But  it  is  not  that !  What  is 
that  horrid  disfigurement,  that  terrible  scar  on  her 
face? 

The  pleasant-faced  chaplain  is  presenting  some 
flowers  to  Katherine  and  telling  her  of  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  men  and  officials  for  her  in  her  sad 
affliction,  and  she  is  looking  demurely  at  the  floor. 
Perhaps  she  knows  what  is  coming.  Richard  cer- 
tainly does  not,  though  he  sees  John  near  her,  and 
when  with  playful  and  kindly  words  the  chaplain 
explains  to  the  men  that  she  is  no  longer  Miss  Irv- 
ing, but  Mrs.  Pierce,  Richard  leans  his  head  on  his 
hand  and  feels  as  if  there  is  nothing  now  in  all  the 
world  to  live  for.  Oh,  to  get  away  from  the  chapel 
to  the  solitude  of  his  own  cell,  where  he  could  think, 
and  think,  and  think!  But  the  men  are  cheering, 
and  she  "  whose  name  is  now  Mrs.  Pierce  "  is  smil- 
ing down  at  them  with  the  old  rare  smile  he  had 
seen  on  her  face  so  many,  many  times.  It  is  such 


A  Knight  of  the  New  Chivalry      251 

a  bright,  beaming  smile  that  it  covered  up  the  scar 
with  its  beautiful  glow,  and,  broken  spirited  as  he 
is,  Richard  notices  the  perfect  understanding  be- 
tween herself  and  the  men.  It  is  not  one  bit  like  a 
prison  audience. 

"  No  danger  of  her  preaching  about  the  Prodigal 
Son  like  the  other  cranks  that  comes  here,"  whis- 
pered his  next  neighbor  to  Richard.  And  then  he 
added,  laughingly,  "  We've  been  hearing  so  long 
about  fatted  calves  and  swine  until  we  know  how 
much  a  pound  both  brought  in  Jerusalem,  and  how 
the  liver  and  bacon  tasted." 

Richard  tries  to  smile,  but  his  friend  does  not 
notice  how  ruefully  he  fails,  for  Katherine  is  talking 
and  every  eye  is  upon  her  face.  She  tells  them 
what  their  sympathy  meant  to  her  during  her  long 
illness,  but  as  to  its  cause  she  says  not  a  word. 
She  speaks  to  them  in  the  quiet  conversational  way 
a  friend  is  apt  to  talk  to  another  about  herself. 
She  tells  of  her  thoughts  of  them  and  her  longings 
to  get  back  to  see  them  again,  and  then,  with  a  calm 
light  on  her  face  and  a  strange  softness  in  her  voice, 
she  tells  them  of  the  regenerating  power  of  Christ 
that  can  make  them  princes  in  His  Kingdom  and 
veritable  sons  of  God,  if  they  give  themselves  to 
Him.  Like  a  mother  talking  to  her  children,  she 
goes  on,  seeming  to  see  into  every  soul  and  to 


252  Souls  in  Pawn 

fathom  its  loneliness  and  hear  its  sorrow  and  de- 
spair. She  tells  them  that  she  believes  in  them ; 
that  goodness  and  nobility  is  their  heritage;  that 
they  can  be  true  men,  and  that  every  one  of  them 
is  dear  to  her  and  her  husband.  She  says,  too,  that 
she  will  give  her  life  in  helping  them  to  regain  what 
they  have  lost — aye,  it  will  be  much  more  than  they 
ever  knew  about. 

The  men's  eyes  are  on  her  face,  and  uncon- 
sciously they  have  straightened  themselves  up  in 
their  seats  and  seem  nobler  men  already. 

"  Some  of  you  are  already  realizing  the  peace  of 
God  and  are  finding  His  strength  growing  in  your 
souls  day  by  day,"  said  Katherine.  "  If  God  is  all 
I  told  you  He  was;  if  He  makes  up  for  the  past 
and  brightens  the  future,  stand  up  so  that  your 
brothers  can  see  that  it  is  so." 

Richard  felt  his  head  growing  dizzy.  How 
could  he  stand  up  and  let  her  see  him.  Of  course, 
she  would  think  him  a  hypocrite  and  despise  him 
and  look  at  his  convict's  dress  and  cropped  hair, 
and  decide  that  he  was  in  his  right  place  at  last. 
But  then,  his  faith  !  his  God  !  Ah,  Richard 
Masterson  is  another  man  now,  and  with  all  con- 
siderations of  self  thrown  to  the  winds  he  is  stand- 
ing up  for  God  and  smiling  on  the  other  men,  though 
his  face  is  as  white  as  a  winding-sheet,  and  the 


A  Knight  of  the  New  Chivalry      253 

lump  in  his  throat  seems  to  be  slowly  strangling 
him.  There  are  about  ten  other  men  standing  and 
Katherine  sees  him  last.  He  sees  her  start,  and 
notices  John's  surprised  look,  too.  He  looks  bravely 
at  her  and  sees  the  color  come  and  go  on  her  face, 
and  then  he  hears  her  voice  saying,  with  a  strange 
new  softness  in  it  and  a  wealth  of  wonderful  mean- 
ing to  him,  "  My  Father,  I  thank  thee !  " 

He  knows  her  eyes — soft,  half-smiling,  half- 
tearful  eyes — are  on  his  face,  and  he  sinks  back  into 
the  seat.  The  tears  are  running  down  Katherine's 
cheeks  now,  and  she  does  not  try  to  hide  them.  Her 
arms  are  outstretched,  and  in  the  natural  simple 
eloquence  that  reaches  the  souls  of  her  audience  at 
once,  she  asks  for  others  to  come  back  to  God,  too. 
Ten,  twenty,  thirty,  forty,  fifty  hands  are  raised  to 
signify  the  longings  in  the  souls  of  their  owners,  and 
then  she  closes  the  service  by  asking  John  to  pray. 
His  prayer  is  a  humble,  manly,  brotherly  one,  and 
when  the  chaplain  pronounces  the  benediction  there 
is  a  hallowed,  sacred  feeling  pervading  the  very  air. 

The  convicts  troop  out  and  return  to  their  cells, 
and  the  one  whose  number  contains  four  figures  is 
on  his  knees  almost  before  his  cell-door  closes  on 
him.  Katherine  and  John  find  him  there,  and  she 
kneels  down  beside  him  and  says :  "  God  bless  you, 
God  bless  you,"  as  if  no  other  words  will  come  to 


254  Souls  in  Pawn 

give  vent  to  the  joy  in  her  heart.  He  sobs  aloud, 
but  gives  her  no  greeting,  and  John,  brave,  tender- 
hearted John,  goes  up  to  him  and  wipes  the  tears 
from  his  eyes  as  his  own  mother  might  have  done. 
The  convict  looks  up  with  a  questioning  look  that 
is  too  eloquent  for  speech,  and  John  says :  "  Do  not 
even  mention  forgiveness,  old  chap.  I  believe  in 
you  with  all  my  soul  and  so  does  my  wife." 

Katherine  nods,  and  Richard  says :  "  Neither  of 
you  have  reason  to — but — but — Oh,  I  mean  it  this 
time." 

Deep  emotion  and  honest  earnestness  are  rarely 
eloquent  in  expression,  but  their  very  lack  of  power 
always  convinces,  and  this  time  was  no  exception. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here,  Brother,"  asked 
John. 

"  Since  that  night  I  met  you — I  was  arrested  a 
little  later." 

"  Ah,  I  knew  the  tale  was  a  falsehood,"  said 
Katherine.  "  I  knew  Richard  Masterson  was  not 
a  deliberate  coward." 

He  looked  questioningly  at  her,  and  then  she  told 
him  of  Mr.  Grey's  threats,  of  his  statements  that 
he,  Richard,  was  in  the  conspiracy,  and  of  the  mad 
attempt  to  take  her  life  that  awful  night  in  the 
parsonage  parlors.  Richard  was  horror-stricken, 
and  with  bowed  head  confessed  that  the  reason  he 


A  Knight  of  the  New  Chivalry      255 

went  to  New  Hamburgh  was  because  the  Christian 
Merchant  told  him  she  was  there  and  made  him 
believe  that  she  loved  him  after  all. 

"  I  was  a  rascal,  mad,  impulsive  and  wicked ;  but 
I  would  not  attempt  to  defame  your  character. 
Please  do  not  believe  that  of  me." 

"  I  do  not,"  said  Katherine,  quietly,  and  when  he 
told  her  of  his  innocence  of  the  crime  he  was 
charged  with,  she  said,  looking  in  his  eyes,  "  I  be- 
lieve you  are  innocent  of  that,  too,  and  I  shall  make 
every  effort  to  prove  that  you  are." 

"  I  have  done  things,  perhaps,  that  were  just  as 
bad,  but  I  did  not  do  this,"  said  Richard,  and  then 
he  told  her  about  his  wife  and  Ned  and  Stevie,  and 
as  he  watched  her  face  he  knew  that  Katherine  felt 
the  pity  she  did  not  know  how  to  speak.  They 
talked  and  prayed  together  for  nearly  an  hour,  and 
then  Richard  told  her  she  would  have  to  go  because 
he  knew  that  some  of  the  other  men  wanted  to  see 
her. 

"  Poor  fellows  !  Some  of  them  look  wretched 
enough.  Go  to  them  and  I  will  pray  while  you  are 
with  them  that  God  may  show  you  how  to  reach 
their  hearts,"  was  his  parting  message  to  her. 

"Ah,  that  is  spoken  like  a  true  child  of  God," 
said  Katherine,  and  she  turned  to  go  away — a  great 
thankfulness  filling  her  heart. 


256  Souls  in  Pawn 

Then  John  came  up  to  him,  the  two  men  shook 
hands  warmly,  and  when  they  parted  it  was  with 
even  a  stronger  clasp  of  the  hand  and  with  a  look 
of  confidence  and  trust  on  the  faces  of  both. 

And  now  Richard  was  alone.  He  had  seen  her 
again.  She  had  been  sent  in  answer  to  his  prayers, 
he  felt  sure;  but  she  was  married  and  no  longer 
even  in  his  own  soul  could  he  call  her  his 
Katherine. 

"  Well,  I  will  be  brave,"  he  said,  and  he  drew 
himself  to  his  full  height  as  he  said  it.  "  The  way 
is  dark  to-day,  but  God  will  not  try  me  any  more 
than  I  am  able  to  bear.  I  will  always  love  her, 
for  she  is  the  one  human  being  in  all  the  world  who 
discovered  the  real  heart  in  me;  but  there  is  no 
reason  why  I  should  be  sad  or  make  her  so.  And," 
meditatively,  "  he  is  a  fine  fellow.  Pierce  is  worthy 
of  her ;  I  was  not.  Now,  that  is  settled ;  and,  God 
helping  me,  I  will  commence  to  build  up  some 
character  at  once  by  tearing  down  all  the  bad 
fences  I  have  been  raising  all  my  life.  Hence- 
forth I  will  be  obedient  to  God,  and  even  if  my 
heart  is  breaking,  I  will  smile  for  her  sake.  Poor, 
poor  child  !  She  will  have  enough  to  bear  in  her 
strange  hard  ministry  without  my  nonsense  and 
pettishness  annoying  her." 

Ah,  Richard  is  learning  to  know  what  real  love 


A  Knight  of  the  New  Chivalry      257 

is,  and  when  John  and  Katharine  return  to  his  cell 
late  that  evening  to  say  good-by  to  him,  they 
listen  in  new  wonder  to  his  plans  for  helping  his 
fellow-prisoners,  his  hopes  for  the  future  when  he 
will  aid  them  in  the  work,  his  warnings  to  her  to 
take  good  care  of  herself,  and  the  Christian  optim- 
ism that  gilds  every  word  he  utters. 

And  in  his  happy  letters  to  her  she  never  knew 
that  Richard  was  fighting  a  braver  battle  than  any 
soldier  ever  fought  on  the  battle-field,  but  she  had 
a  little  intimation  of  it  when  at  her  next  service  at 
the  prison  a  pencilled  line,  that  read  as  follows, 
was  brought  to  her  by  one  of  the  keepers : 

"  Do  not  come  to  see  me  to-day.  I  want  to  fight 
my  battles  alone  with  only  God  to  help.  I  am  true, 
and  will  yet  belong  to  our  dear  Jesus  in  body,  soul, 
and  spirit.  God  bless  and  keep  you,  my  guardian 
angel.  Remember  me  to  your  husband  and  father 
and  dear  little  Katie  Finnegan;  and  have  no  fear 
for  me,  for  I  will  be  true  as  long  as  I  live.  I  am 
dead  in  earnest  and  neither  death  nor  hell  can  turn 
me  aside.  RICHARD  MASTERSON." 

17 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

HOW  A  MAN  IS  BUILT 

IN  the  ten  months  succeeding  that  memorable  day 
at  Sing  Sing  Prison,  many  things  have  happened, 
but  nothing  that  has  been  so  wonderful  as  the  com- 
plete change  in  Richard  Masterson.  He  has  not 
been  alone  in  his  transformation,  for  the  same  slow 
process  of  growth  that  has  been  going  on  in  his 
soul  has  been  going  on  in  fifty  others.  But  it  is 
with  him  we  have  to  deal,  for  we  know  him,  where- 
as we  have  only  been  casually  introduced  to  the 
others.  There  is  strength  in  his  face  and  master- 
fulness in  the  very  way  he  carries  himself,  and  he 
has  so  completely  conquered  himself  by  the  rigorous 
course  of  soul  and  mind  discipline  that  comes  to  all 
in  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  dwells,  that  the  warden 
has  given  him  a  clerkship  and  writes  frequently  to 
Katherine  of  the  fine  character  that  is  constantly 
displaying  itself  by  some  act  of  unselfishness  or 
thoughtfulness.  If  a  man  is  sick,  Richard  pleads 
to  be  allowed  to  go  to  him ;  if  a  man  is  about  to  be 
released,  he  asks  for  and  obtains  permission  of  the 
warden  to  speak  to  him,  and  he  does  not  let  the  man 
•58 


How  a  Man  is  Built  259 

go  until  he  promises  to  go  and  see  Katherine  and 
her  husband  when  he  goes  to  New  York.  Some  of 
the  men  approached  in  this  way  object  to  everything 
religious,  and  they  demur  accordingly,  but  when  he 
tells  them  that  Katherine  and  her  husband  are 
willing  to  believe  in  them  and  give  them  a  chance, 
and  that  few  people  are  ready  to  do  that,  they  look 
into  his  kindly  eyes  and  promise  to  "  think  the 
matter  over." 

"  No,  no ;  that  will  not  do,"  Richard  says,  "  for 
that  is  indecision.  Men  like  you  and  me  must  be 
certain  of  what  we  are  going  to  do  or  we  are  lost. 
Wavering  may  do  for  mild-mannered  fellows  who 
can  afford  that  sort  of  thing.  We  must  be  so  good 
that  we  are  constantly  at  it." 

"  Some  of  the  boys  say  you  were  sent  here 
wrongfully,"  the  interviewed  man  would  frequently 
say. 

"  Oh,  well,  never  mind  that,"  Richard  would 
answer  quietly,  for  he  did  not  want  his  innocence 
proven  if  it  would  separate  him  from  the  men  he 
was  laboring  to  save. 

"  The  police  will  be  awaiting  you  at  the  station, 
and  no  employer  in  New  York  who  learns  about 
you  would  let  you  work  even  for  nothing,"  he  would 
continue  earnestly ;  "  so  go  to  her,  like  a  good  boy, 
and  she  will  help  you." 


260  Souls  in  Pawn 

The  thought  that  their  sentences  were  not  for  two, 
five  or  ten  years,  as  the  judge  stated,  but  for  life; 
and  that  they  would  carry  the  brand  of  their  crime 
wherever  they  went,  frequently  embittered  the  men ; 
but  Richard  would  cheer  and  strengthen  them,  and, 
on  Sunday,  his  rich,  brave  voice  could  be  heard  in 
the  choir  inspiring  them  to  better  things,  and  bidding 
them  to  look  up  and  hope. 

When  a  converted  man  left  prison,  he  would 
plead  with  him  to  remain  true ;  reminding  him  that 
every  failure  would  make  it  harder  for  another  to 
rise  and  to  be  trusted.  It  took  months  of  prayer 
and  resolve  and  brave  endurance  to  conquer  the  love 
in  his  heart  for  John  Pierce's  wife.  He  knew  the 
day,  aye,  the  very  hour,  when  her  letter  would 
arrive;  he  could  see  in  prospective  the  little  gray 
envelope  and  the  handwriting  that  set  his  heart 
throbbing  and  his  never  too  sluggish  blood  running 
so  fast  as  to  make  him  unsteady  in  his  head.  He 
took  the  letters  from  the  prison  official  month  after 
month,  and  put  them  in  his  pocket  unread,  for  he 
was  determined  not  to  scan  one  word  until  he  recog- 
nized the  fact  that  it  was  his  friend  and  not  his 
sweetheart  that  was  writing  to  him.  When  the 
green  monster  attempted  to  torment  him  with 
jealousy  he  failed  disgracefully,  and  so  in  that  quiet 
cell,  brave  battles  were  fought  and  won  that  were 


How  a  Man  is  Built  261 

going  to  equip  a  hero  for  the  seething  battle  of  life. 
The  difference  between  a  Christian  and  other  men 
is  not  that  one  is  tempted  and  the  other  is  not,  but 
that  one  is  conquered  by  his  tempter,  and  the  other 
conquers.  Innocence  is  only  ignorance  of  sin,  but 
he  who  conquers  the  evil  in  himself  is  the  one,  God 
makes  a  pillar  in  His  Temple.  The  Demon  of 
Appetite  would  sometimes  come  to  him  and  try 
hard  to  occupy  his  old  quarters,  and  then  Richard 
would  taste  of  the  bitterness  that  every  soul  that 
has  ever  yielded  to  sin  and  leaves  it  tastes.  "  But 
God — but  God — but  God  !  "  he  would  cry,  and  with 
this  slogan  he  won. 

In  two  weeks  more  he  will  be  free,  and  he  sits  in 
his  cell,  with  a  calm  light  and  a  strong  resolve  on 
his  face,  and  as  we  look  at  the  clear-cut  mouth,  the 
bright  gray  eyes  in  which  there  is  a  touch  of  sad- 
ness, and  the  strength  of  purpose  that  is  weaving 
its  lines  of  freedom  around  the  chin,  we  scarcely 
recognize  the  hot-headed  lover  of  a  year  before. 
Certainly,  there  is  none  of  the  saloon-keeper,  and 
still  less  of  the  self-indulgent  slave  who  grew  miser- 
able and  uncontrollable  when  deprived  of  his  own 
way. 

He  has  Katherine's  last  letter  in  his  right  hand 
and  her  picture  in  his  left,  and  he  is  talking  to  the 
latter  as  if  it  understood  every  word  he  said. 


262  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  I  want  you  no  longer  with  the  selfish,  sinful 
affection  I  once  did.  Oh,"  he  cried,  as  he  looked 
into  his  own  heart  and  saw  the  wonderful  change 
wrought  there,  "  what  a  God  we  have  ! — and  yet," 
musingly,  "  there  are  Christians  who  think  they 
need  to  suffer  through  longing  for  some  unlawful 
thing.  Yes,  and  they  joy  in  it  and  call  it  '  tempta- 
tion.' Ah,  He  is  able  to  deliver  us  and  to  give  us 
rest  and  peace  and  victory.  What  I  called  curses 
were  only  the  chariots  of  God's  blessings,  and," 
with  a  sad  smile,  "  what  I  craved  as  blessings  in 
my  past  life,  came  to  me  with  the  canker  of  the 
worm  and  the  bite  of  the  locust."  Here  Richard 
threw  back  his  head  and  said  with  conviction :  "  A 
man  without  God's  guidance  is  a  fool  and — a 
knave." 

"  Yes,  I  was  both,"  he  said,  as  if  answering  some 
voice  within  his  soul,  and,  slowly,  "  because  there 
are  many  others  of  the  same  kind  I  must  warn  this 
brave  saint  of  God.  She  must  not  trust  others  as 
she  trusted  me.  It  is  not  that  we  are  so  bad,  but 
we  are  so  weak,  and  she,  with  her  royal  faith  in 
everybody,  is  liable  to  forget  that.  But,"  turning 
his  eyes  to  heaven,  "  forbid  it  Lord  that  she  should 
ever  become  the  over-careful  Christian  who  fears 
to  grasp  a  sinner's  hand." 

But  there   was   nothing  to   fear.    Katherine  is 


How  a  Man  is  Built  263 

trusting  her  God  for  guidance  now  and  He  does  not 
make  cranks  of  His  noblest  children. 

Before  Richard  closed  his  eyes  that  night  he  had 
decided  upon  what  his  future  life  would  be.  John 
has  offered  him  a  scholarship  in  a  college  where  he 
can  prepare  himself  for  the  ministry.  But  he  will 
not  take  any  such  easy  road.  He  will  go  to  work 
on  the  public  highways  if  needs  be,  and  will  thus 
show  the  other  men  that  a  man  can  be  poor  and 
pure  at  the  same  time.  Katherine  will  agree  with 
him,  he  knows.  Richard  has  won  too  much  moral 
muscle  by  self-denial  and  sole  dependence  upon 
God,  to  choose  the  easy  thing  when  he  doubted 
whether  it  was  the  right  thing  or  not. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

KATIE    FINNEGAN    ON    UNIVERSAL    SUFFRAGE 

KATIE  FINNEGAN  was  returning  from  the  public 
school  with  her  little  brain  busily  planning  her  next 
talk  to  the  Fidelity  girls  and  her  future  life;  for 
ambitious,  indeed,  were  the  designs  of  this  fifteen- 
year-old  girl.  Peter  was  to  be  a  carpenter,  Nellie 
a  school  teacher,  and  Annie  a  milliner.  She  had 
studied  their  tastes  and  watched  their  growing 
preferences  for  people  and  things,  and  she  was 
determined  that  after  they  were  graduated  from 
the  public  school  they  all  would  go  to  work  except 
Nellie.  She  would  go  to  the  Normal  College,  and 
with  what  pride  Katie  would  introduce  her  in  the 
days  to  come  as 

"  Le'me  see,  what  would  I  call  her  ? "  asked 
Katie  of  herself  as  she  walked  home.  "  Oh,  yes. 
I  would  say,  'Dis  is  me  sister — a  New  York  Pet- 
ticog.  No,  dat  ain't  right;  dat's  too  much  like 
petticoat,  but  it  sounds  somethin'  like  dat.  Hully 
Bones — oh,  what  would  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  say  if  she 
heard  me  use  talk  o'  dat  color  !  My,  but  I  must 
screw  me  eyes  at  de  dickshunary  more." 

164 


Katie  Finnegan  on  Universal  Suffrage   265 

And  Katie  herself — what  would  she  be  ?  Oh,  she 
did  not  know.  She  had  intense  faith  in  herself, 
and  she  might  be  anything  great.  She  Certainly 
would  be  something  great. 

Absorbed  in  herself  and  her  plans  she  had  gone 
on,  not  noticing  that  she  had  wandered  a  little,  out 
of  her  way,  and  when  she  lifted  up  her  eyes  she 
found  herself  in  front  of  one  of  the  newest  and  most 
fashionable  of  the  uptown  hotels,  and  she  noticed 
that  the  announcement  was  made  on  a  card  near  one 
of  the  entrances  that,  "  The  Sorceress  Club  meets 
here  to-day." 

"  Mesopotamia  !  "  cried  Katie.  "  Dat's  de  swell- 
est  wiman's  club  in  town.  Say  !  I'd  like  to  get 
some  pointers  dere  for  my  club.  Wonder  can  I  get 
in  ?" 

To  think  with  Katie  was  to  act,  and  her  audacious 
and  cool  effrontery  carried  her  to  the  elevator  safely 
without  any  questions  being  asked.  But  at  the  door 
of  the  little  ball-room,  which  was  the  meeting-place 
for  the  Sorceresses,  a  fine-looking  woman,  elegantly 
gowned,  and  with  a  beautiful,  kindly  face,  said, 
"  Have  you  a  ticket  ?  " 

"  I've  got  a  laundry  ticket,"  answered  Katie 
roguishly,  producing  a  piece  of  yellow  paper  on 
which  were  some  Chinese  hieroglyphics. 

"  Oh,  that  will  not  do/'  said  the  lady,  smilingly. 


266  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  See  here,"  said  Katie  with  dignity,  "  I'm  presi- 
dent of  a  club,  I  am,  an'  I'd  like  to  see  how  ye 
manages  tings  here,  dat's  all." 

"  Where  is  your  club  ?  "  asked  the  President  of 
the  Sorceresses,  for  she  it  was. 

"  Oh,  tain't  in  any  swell  place  like  dis,"  said 
Katie,  apologetically.  "  It's  in  Chinatown,  but 
we're  nearly  all  Christians,  an'  we're  tryin'  to  help 
each  udder.  It  used  ter  be  de  Finnegan  Associa- 
tion— called  after  me,  ye  know.  Dat  is  my  name 
— Finnegan — not  association,  o'  course." 

"  Of  course,"  assented  the  fashionable  woman, 
looking  amused  but  interested. 

"  Well,  it's  now  de  Fidelity  Club,  an'  I'm  Presi- 
dent, an'  we  talk  'bout  how  to  keep  straight;  why 
some  of  us  don't;  why  dirt  is  ever  popular  among 
us;  and  why  we  hain't  got  more  o'  God  in  our 
hearts.  What  do  you  folks  talk  about  ?  " 

"  I  believe  the  subjects  are  nearly  the  same,"  said 
the  clubwoman  thoughtfully,  "  though  we  give  them 
more  formidable  names,  and  we  do  not  speak  of 
ourselves." 

"  I  see,"  said  Katie.  "  Ye  get  at  it  in  a  round- 
about way,  an'  den  Mrs.  Chipnig  tinks  dat's  good 
for  Mrs.  Jumparound,  but  not  for  her.  Well,  o' 
course,"  looking  admiringly  at  the  clubwoman,  "  yer 
a  cleaner  lookin'  lot  den  we  are." 


Katie  Finnegan  on  Universal  Suffrage   267 

"  Now,  I  would  like  very  much  to  have  you  re- 
main," said  the  President,  "  and  you  are  at  perfect 
liberty  to  take  part  in  the  discussions.  Because  we 
wear  fine  clothes  and  meet  in  this  beautiful  place 
you  may  think  we  have  no  serious  purpose  in  life, 
but  we  really  have." 

"  Is  dis  club  fer  fun  ?  "  asked  Katie. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  the  President,  "  we  are  very 
serious.  The  men  say  that  we  really  take  our- 
selves too  serious." 

"  Men's  clubs  !  Oh,  say  ! "  said  Katie  in  a  tone 
of  disgust.  "  Me  Uncle  Jim  jined  one  an'  he  used 
to  do  nawthin  there  but  swill  beer  an'  talk  politics, 
till  he  got  so  hoarse  he  couldn't  call  out  de  stations 
on  de  elevated  road,  where  he  was  workin',  so  he 
got  de  grand  bounce.  O'  course,  he  b'longed  to  a 
down-town  club." 

"  Well,  there  is  not  a  great  deal  of  difference," 
said  the  clubwoman,  smiling ;  "  though  I  believe  they 
drink  champagne  instead  of  beer,  uptown." 

"  An'  de  politics  ?  "  asked  Katie. 

"  Oh,  they  never  lose  their  '  jobs  '  through  it,"  she 
answered,  smilingly.  "They  never  take  politics 
seriously." 

"  Now,  I  like  fun,"  said  Katie,  meditatively,  "  but 
dis  world's  a  mighty  affair,  an'  we  mustn't  laugh 
too  much,  for  it  goes  round  awful  fast,  an'  some 


268  Souls  in  Pawn 

fellers  goes  round  wid  it.  It's  de  ones  dats  apt  to 
go  round,  dat  I'm  after.  Dere  ought  ter  be  fun  in 
de  clubs,  else  we'll  wear  out;  but  funny  clubs  wid 
nawthin  else  in  dem  is  no  better  dan  a  Punch  an' 
Judy  show." 

The  President  has  to  call  the  meeting  to  order,  so 
she  leads  Katie  to  a  front  seat,  and  a  young  woman 
commences  to  sing  about  "  a  bonnie  highland 
laddie."  Katie  likes  her  voice,  but  not  the  dialect, 
so  she  looks  around  at  the  beautiful  hangings,  the 
cushioned  seats,  the  glittering  candelabra,  the  won- 
derful dresses  and  the  purple  club  banner  suspended 
over  the  platform,  and  she  is  nearly  awed  into 
silence. 

"  Mothers  and  their  responsibilities "  are  dis- 
cussed, and  Katie  thinks  that  a  very  good  subject, 
indeed.  All  agree  that  woman's  first  place  is  her 
home,  if  she  happens  to  have  one;  but  they  say 
that  her  second  place  is  wherever  she  is  needed 
most  and  where  she  can  do  the  greatest  good  and 
bless  the  greatest  number,  and  Katie  says,  "  Dat's 
right,"  audibly.  The  Rev.  Cynthia  Ford,  a  promi- 
nent member,  says  that  until  woman  has  the  right 
to  vote  she  has  no  right  at  all  except  what  is  given 
her  by  way  of  courtesy. 

"  An'  she'll  only  get  dat  when  politeness  is 
pop'lar,"  broke  in  Katie,  and  everybody  looked  sur- 
prised and  then  laughed. 


Katie  Finnegan  on  Universal  Suffrage    269 

"  They  say  we  are  different  from  men  and  so 
cannot  understand  how  to  govern  ourselves,  or  how 
to  use  the  elective  franchise,"  continues  the  Rev. 
Cynthia. 

"  Well,"  broke  in  Katie  again,  "  if  we're  diffrent 
from  de  udder  half,  how'n  de  world  will  dey  know 
what's  good  fer  us.  If  I  never  wore  pants  and 
galluses  how  am  I  goin'  to  dictate  to  me  brudder 
how  dey  ought  ter  be  put  on  ?  " 

This  was  greeted  with  cheers  and  laughter,  and 
the  reporters  present  all  looked  in  Katie's  direc- 
tion. 

"Will  our  visitor  tell  us  what  she  thinks  about 
this  question  of  voting  ?  "  asked  the  President. 

"  Well,  see  here,"  said  Katie,  earnestly,  "  it's  like 
dis.  I  don't  want  to  be  a  man — oh,  dear,  no,  but  I 
b'lieve  in  bein'  treated  like  a  sensible  bein'.  I 
wouldn't  let  no  man  vote  who  lives  wrong,  an'  no 
woman  neither ;  an'  I'd  let  no  man  vote  who  was  in 
de  p'lice  courts  every  few  days  an'  didn't  know  B 
from  a  bag  o'  beans.  Same  rule  for  women. 
Right's  right,  you  know.  If  a  man  is  called  strong- 
minded  he  looks  proud  an'  t'inks  he  ought  ter  get  a 
politician's  job.  If  a  woman's  called  de  same  t'ing, 
people  laugh.  Guess  dey  likes  her  weak,  like 
Chinese  tea.  If  a  woman  sits  in  de  house  an'  minds 
de  kids  an'  says  she  knows  nothin',  she's  a  good 


2jo  Souls  in  Pawn 

mudder  (in  me  eye),  but  if  she  objects  to  tings  '11 
make  de  kid  bad,  an'  asks  fur  de  right  to  fix  dem 
straight,  she's  a  chump.  Me  brudder  tells  me 
(dough  I  could  buy  an'  sell  him,  for  Jimmy  is  a  bit 
of  a  fool,  if  I  do  have  to  say  it)  dat  I  can't  vote 
because  I  can't  fight  if  dere's  a  war.  Well,  we 
only  has  a  war  'bout  every  thirty  years,  but  we  has 
schools  and  churches  an'  teachin'  o'  youngsters  all 
de  time,  an'  I  guess  if  dere's  any  good  bein'  done, 
de  women's  in  de  front.  Bless  de  men,  where 
would  dey  get  soldiers  if  women  didn't  give  'em  to 
'em  ?  War  hain't  de  only  ting  to  be  done.  Let's 
divide  de  work  and  de  profits.  Woman's  willin'  to 
nurse  an'  give  herself  an'  her  money  and  her  heart 
an'  her  sons.  What  more  can  she  do  ?  Men's  all 
right.  Some  kind  o'  women  is  gossips  an'  fools,  but 
if  dey  wasn't  dey'd  be  out  o'  place  wid  men  wa't 
buys  votes  an'  drinks  rum,  and  runs  after  de  tail 
end  of  a  wagon  where  some  politician  is  preachin' 
crazy  stuff  about  de  people,  dat  dey  doesn't  under- 
stand, dough  dey  pretends  dey  does.  If  I'm  a 
different  animal  from  me  brudders  dey  never  can 
decide  wa't  kind  o'  feed  is  good  fer  me.  Give  me 
a  vote  an'  I'll  drop  it  in  de  right  box,  an'  I'll  bet 
yer  a  dollar  I'll  drop  it  in  wid  a  clean  hand,  too. 
Women  goes  bad  sometimes,  but  as  a  rule  dey  don't 
sell  tings  dey  holds  dear." 


Katie  Finnegan  on  Universal  Suffrage   271 

This  speech  was  greeted  with  prolonged  cheering, 
the  most  dignified  of  the  Sorceresses  joining  with 
avidity,  while  the  reporters  made  hasty  notes. 

Songs  and  reading  followed,  and  after  a  paper 
was  read  on  "  Industrial  Problems  in  Woman's 
World,"  an  erudite  member  raised  the  question, 
"  Which  is  the  most  important  sense,  sight  or  feel- 
ing ?  "  Many  abstruse  questions  were  raised  that 
baffled  Katie  badly,  and  she  could  not  help  asking 
herself  of  what  good  would  the  decision  be  if  they 
ever  came  to  one,  which  was  not  at  all  likely.  She 
must  have  revealed  the  fact  that  she  was  getting 
very  weary,  for  the  President  looked  down  at  her 
with  an  amused  look  that  was  encouraging  and  not 
a  little  mischievous. 

"  It's  like  dis  wid  me,"  said  Katie,  taking  the  sly 
hint  conveyed,  and  rising  to  her  feet.  "  I  b'lieve 
sight's  de  most  important.  W'en  I  was  a  kid  a  mule 
nearly  kilt  me.  If  I'd  seen  him  before  I  felt  him 
I'd  have  been  all  right." 

The  Rev.  Cynthia  Ford,  who  had  a  quick  sense 
of  humor  applauded  this,  and  her  laugh  was  so  in- 
fectious that  even  the  aggrieved  member,  who  did 
not  like  to  be  disposed  of  in  this  undignified  man- 
ner, joined  in  the  mirth.  But  there  was  one  woman 
who  would  not  be  appeased,  and  she  attempted  to 
freeze  Katie  with  a  cold  stare. 


272  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  The  marvellous  sense  of  touch  in  blind  people 
and  in  babies,"  she  said,  "  shows  how  important 
feeling  is.  Babies  feel  before  they  notice,  and  the 
sense  of  touch  is  often  so  strong  in  some  fine 
natures  that  a  touch  of  the  hand  is  necessary  to 
arouse  their  finest  feelings." 

"  Oh,  dat  might  make  'em  more  spoony  dan 
lookin'  at  em,"  said  Katie,  interrupting. 

"  Will  the  chair  please  stop  this  interruption  ?  " 
cried  the  tragic  voice  of  the  speaker  out  of  the  din 
that  followed. 

"  Here,  my  name's  Finnegan  and  not  interrup- 
tion," said  Katie,  indignantly.  "  In  Chinatown  we 
call  our  chair  lady  Mrs.  President,  an'  not  a  com- 
mon chair." 

"  You  have  the  floor,  Madam,"  said  the  member, 
sitting  down. 

"  T'ank  ye,"  said  Katie,  looking  at  the  polished 
wood  beneath  her  feet.  "  I  wish  I  could  move  it 
down  town.  Say,  loidy,  don't  get  mad ;  ye  may  be 
right,  ye  know.  I  heard  of  a  fresh  young  feller 
w'at  went  to  a  high  toned  school,  an'  he  was 
walkin'  one  day  an'  met  de  head  master.  De  fresh 
guy  goes  along  an'  never  notices  de  master.  P'raps 
he  was  waitin'  to  be  touched. 

"  '  Here,'  said  de  master,  '  don't  ye  know  me  ? ' 

" '  No,  sir.' 


Katie  Finnegan  on  Universal  Suffrage    273 

"  '  How  long  ye  bin  in  school  ?  ' 

"  '  A  week,  sir.' 

" '  Oh,  I  see,'  said  de  master ;  '  puppies  is  blind 
till  dey're  nine  days  old.'  Dat  prove  you  to  be 
right,  loidy.  'Twas  feelin'  he  needed." 

One  angry  clubwoman  sat  in  her  seat  and  refused 
to  be  comforted,  but  the  others  gathered  around 
Katie  and  lionized  her  to  her  heart's  content.  And 
there  was  not  one  bit  of  exclusiveness  or  any  of 
the  patronizing  element  in  it  at  all. 

"  Yer  all  right,"  said  Katie  to  an  enthusiastic 
member  who  asked  to  call  at  her  house,  "  but  I 
can't  be  jollied.  I'm  in  fer  business  an'  have  no 
time  fer  foolin'  about.  You  women  who  meet  here 
can  do  somethin'  fer  me  work  if  ye  want  to,  an'  if 
I  do  say  it  meself  (an*  I  don't  purtend  to  know 
everything)  yez  ought  ter  all  be  doin'  somethin'  in 
dat  way  an'  so  ought  every  udder  woman's  club  in 
town.  Say,  de  women  w'ats  in  here  to-day  could 
make  heaven  of  Chinatown  if  dey  gave  demselves, 
an'  dey've  money  to  do  it." 

"  What  can  I  do,  Miss  Finnegan  ?  " 

"  If  yer  a  Christian  ye  can  do  everyting ;  if  yer 
not,  ye  can't  do  much  of  anything  except  to  give 
us  money,  for  de  girls  feel  right  into  yer  hearts,  an' 
dey  knows  w'ats  w'at.  If  yer  tellin'  dem  to  be 

good  an'  get  over  dey're  tempers,  dey  know  wedder 
18 


274  Souls  in  Pawn 

you  have  done  dat  fer  yerself  or  not.  Say,  ma'am, 
don't  tink  I'm  fresh  in  talkin'  dis  way.  I  want  ter 
be  dead  honest  wid  ye.  If  every  woman  in  here 
was  as  good  as  our  Miss  Irving — I  mean  our  Mrs. 
Pierce — de  devil  would  s'render  quick  enough." 

"May  I  see  your  Mrs.  Pierce?"  asked  the 
woman,  thoughtfully. 

"  Ye  bet  ye  can,"  said  Katie,  giving  her  Kather- 
ine's  address ;  "  an'  w'en  ye've  seen  her  ye've  seen 
a  walkin'  edition  o'  de  New  Testament.  Good-by. 
Give  me  regards  to  de  udder  loidies.  It's  gettin' 
late  an'  I  must  be  off." 

"  Good-by,  Miss  Finnegan ;  I  hope  we  will  meet 
again." 

"  Good-by,  me  friend,"  and  Katie  threw  a  kiss 
from  the  tips  of  her  fingers  to  the  President,  who 
was  away  at  the  other  end  of  the  room. 


FROM     LOCKSTEP    AND    STRIPES 

IT  is  Richard's  last  night  in  Sing  Sing  Prison, 
and  when  nine  o'clock  is  announced  by  the  putting 
out  of  all  the  lights  he  goes  to  his  bed  but  not  to 
sleep.  To-morrow  he  will  be  a  free  man ;  to-mor- 
row he  will  be  able  to  swing  his  legs  and  arms  with- 
out the  thought  of  the  hated  lockstep.  He  will 
never  hear  that  "  halt  "  of  slavery  and  shame  called 
again ;  he  will  see  Katherine,  and  there  will  be  no 
stripes  of  bondage  and  disgrace  encircling  the  hand 
he  will  reach  out  to  her.  How  dear  New  York  was 
after  all ;  how  glad  he  would  be  to  see  the  Grand 
Central  Station  and  touch  shoulder  to  shoulder 
with  the  busy  world  again !  He  felt  as  if  he  could 
jump  for  very  joy ;  and  little  sleep  visited  his  eyes  all 
night.  How  good  it  was  of  the  warden  to  tell  the 
barber  to  skip  him  during  the  past  few  weeks,  for 
he  did  not  want  to  return  to  freedom  with  that 
cropped  head  that  would  mark  him  the  moment  he 
arrived  at  the  station.  He  had  no  mustache,  and 
275 


276  Souls  in  Pawn 

were  it  not  so  dark  in  his  cell  we  would  see  that  he 
looked  all  the  better  for  it.  His  clear,  strong 
mouth  and  white  teeth  added  to  the  attractiveness 
of  his  finely  cut  features  and  clear  honest  eyes. 
Ever  and  anon  he  ran  his  hand  through  his  brown 
hair  and  rumpled  it  over  his  forehead  as  he  thought 
of  that  first  night  when  he  tried  to  sleep  in  a  prison 
bed,  but  the  agony  of  remorse,  the  madness,  the 
wildness  and  hate  kept  him  awake  then;  to-night 
it  is  joy,  gladness,  hope,  and  faith. 

Well,  to  be  sure,  we  must  have  slept  a  little  after 
all  for  here  it  is  already  day  and  the  prison  is  full  of 
activity.  He  sees  the  other  convicts  march  past 
his  cell-door,  for  he  is  not  allowed  out  until  they 
are  in  the  shops  and  at  work.  This  is  a  precaution- 
ary measure  taken,  in  order  that  no  notes  to  the 
outside  world  may  be  sent  by  the  released  prisoner, 
and  Richard  watches  the  gloomy  faces  as  they  pass. 
He  has  always  observed  the  prison  discipline  even 
on  the  smallest  points,  but  this  morning  he  breaks 
it,  for  he  feels  if  he  does  not  that  his  own  heart  will 
break. 

"  Good-by,  boys ;  God  bless  you  every  one.  Be 
brave,"  he  cries,  and  a  faint  smile  lights  the  dark- 
ness on  every  face.  A  blue-coated  keeper  comes 
a  little  later  and  calls  his  name  and  tells  him  he  is 
free,  but  that  he  ought  not  to  be  for  that  breach 


From  Lockstep  and  Stripes          277 

of  discipline ;  but  Richard  knows  that  that  pressure 
in  his  arm  tells  another  story.  He  seems  to  be 
walking  on  air,  and  it  is  only  when  he  is  on  the 
scales  and  being  weighed  that  he  realizes  that  he 
has  some  avoirdupois  left  after  all.  There  are  ten 
other  men  being  released  with  him,  and  in  a  few 
moments  all  are  equipped  from  head  to  foot  in  new 
clothes,  and  then  into  the  hated  lockstep  they  fall 
again  and  march  through  the  prison  yard,  quietly 
waving  a  farewell  to  white-faced,  broken-looking 
men,  who  look  after  them  as  they  have  looked  after 
many  another  during  the  long,  dark  years  since  the 
State  took  possession  of  them. 

At  the  reception-room  just  inside  of  the  gate 
their  names  and  pedigrees  are  taken  again  as  on 
that  first  day,  and  then  they  receive  their  dis- 
charges, together  with  ten  dollars  and  the  amount 
of  their  prison  salaries  computed  at  less  than  two 
cents  a  day.  The  warden  and  several  of  the  keepers 
say  good-by  to  Richard,  and  he  is  the  only  one  they 
do  not  admonish  not  to  come  back  again.  They 
know  that  he  never  will,  and  as  he  lifts  his  head 
and  reveals  a  face  where  a  solitary  tear  that  refused 
to  be  repressed  makes  its  lonely  way  down  his 
cheek,  the  warden  strikes  him  on  the  back  and 
clasps  his  hand  in  a  warm  farewell. 

A  keeper  accompanies  them  to  the  station  and 


278  Souls  in  Pawn 

can  scarcely  keep  up  with  them  as  they  rush  down 
the  steep  hill,  some  shouting  with  the  sheer  delight 
of  being  free,  others  almost  speechless  with  the  joy 
of  it,  and  still  others  with  the  fear  of  the  future  and 
the  blackness  of  the  city  where  neither  home  nor 
friends  await  them. 

After  getting  their  tickets  from  the  keeper,  some 
of  the  men  ran  and  bought  cigarettes  and  adjourned 
to  the  smoking-car,  revelling  in  the  unprecedented 
dissipation  of  a  smoke  that  is  nobody's  business  but 
their  own.  Richard  sat  in  his  seat  and  looked  out 
of  the  window,  and,  as  the  beautiful  Hudson  rose 
up  before  him,  he  thought  of  that  ride  with  Kath- 
erine,  and  of  the  awful  black  days  that  followed. 
But  it  is  all  over  now,  and  he  must  be  doing  some 
good,  he  tells  himself.  So  he  goes  to  the  smoking- 
car  and  commences  to  talk  with  the  men,  who  were 
recently  his  fellow-convicts,  about  their  future;  but 
freedom,  as  they  call  it,  is  too  dear  to  them.  No, 
indeed,  they  will  never  go  back  to  their  old  life,  but 
they  want  to  run  a  bit  around  town  first  and  see 
their  old  friends.  Richard  sighs  and  leaves  them, 
but  returns  from  the  door  to  ask  them  if  they  will 
not  call  and  see  him,  whether  they  become  religious 
or  not.  Yes,  they  might  later  on,  they  said,  and, 
as  Richard  was  about  to  turn  away  again,  one  of 
them,  a  roguish-looking,  big  fellow,  who  was  blow- 


From  Lockstep  and  Stripes          279 

ing  clouds  of  smoke  around  his  head,  said,  "  I'll  go 
to  see  you  in  a  few  days,  blowed  if  I  won't." 

The  men  interrupted  him  by  roaring,  in  unison, 
"  Oh,  say,  listen  to  Hard  Tack." 

"  Hard  Tack  "  laughed  with  them,  but  said  he 
would  go  all  the  same,  and  Richard  believed  he 
would  and  handed  him  the  address  of  the  parson- 
age, at  the  same  time  saying,  "  Be  firm,  old  fellow." 

Immediately  one  of  the  party  commenced  to  sing 
an  extempore  song,  a  refrain  declared  to  be  the  tune 
of  "  I'll  bet  my  money  on  a  bob-tailed  nag,"  the 
chorus  of  which  ran : 

"  Hard  Tack's  goin'  to  be  good, 
He'll  shovel  coal  and  saw  up  wood; 

Oh,  you  bet  he  will — 

I  can  see  him  doin'  it." 

Roars  of  laughter  followed  this,  "  Hard  Tack  " 
joining  in  each  laugh,  but  this  did  not  discourage 
Richard,  for  he  saw  something  in  the  man's  face  the 
others  did  not,  and  he  prayed  for  him  all  the  way 
until  the  train  stopped  at  the  Grand  Central  Station. 
Rushing  from  the  car  he  was  met  by  John  and 
Katherine,  and— could  he  believe  it? — his  Stevie. 

"  Papa !  my  papa  1 "  cried  the  little  fellow,  clasp- 
ing him  around  the  legs,  and  passers-by,  who  saw 
the  woman  turn  away  to  hide  her  emotion  and  the 
man  clasping  his  boy  to  his  breast  while  his  white 


280  Souls  in  Pawn 

face  told  its  own  story  of  sorrow,  were  sure  that 
they  recognized  a  family  reconciliation,  and  that 
the  man  returned  to  his  unloved  wife  because  of  his 
boy.  But  they  changed  their  minds  a  moment  later 
when  the  eyes  of  John  and  Katherine  met. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  "  Richard  asked  Katherine, 
in  a  low,  sobbing  voice,  when  they  entered  the  cab. 

"  Your  wife's  husband — that  is,  your  partner — 
brought  him  to  the  house  a  week  ago,"  said  Kath- 
erine. "  He  said  that  the  boy  was  constantly  crying 
for  you,  and  that  his  wife  was  unwilling  you  should 
have  no  one  to  welcome  you  when  you  returned 
home.  They  have  both  gone  to  the  West,  and  will 
never  trouble  you  again,  they  said." 

"  Ah,  God  is  good  to  me,"  said  Richard,  sobbing, 
and  John  turned  away  to  hide  the  moisture  in  his 
own  eyes. 

"  God !  "  cries  the  little  fellow,  in  amazement. 
"  Say,  Pop,  do  you  pray  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  darling." 

"  Then,  so  will  I,  Pop.  I'll  do  everything  that 
you  do — oh,  let  me  hug  you  good  an'  hard.  I  was 
cryin'  for  you  all  the  time.  I  don't  want  no  nuther 
papa,  do  I,  Pop  ?  " 

"  No,  darling,  and  may  God  make  me  worthy  of 
you." 

"What  must  I  say  to  that?"  asked  Stevie,  turn- 


From  Lockstep  and  Stripes          281 

ing  to  Katherine,  for  he  had  a  vague  idea  that  there 
ought  to  be  some  response. 

"  Say  Amen,  dearie,"  said  Katherine. 

"Amen,"  said  the  boy,  solemnly,  and  then  he 
added,  after  looking  at  Katherine  again,  "  Pop,  I 
love  this  lady,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Stevie,  Christ  said  we  were  to  love  one 
another." 

"  I  didn't  hear  Him  say  it,  but  I  love  her  all  the 
same — say,  Pop,  marry  her,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  but  Mrs.  Pierce  is  married,"  said  Richard, 
laughingly,  trying  to  hide  his  embarrassment. 

"  That's  nothin',  pray  for  Mr.  Pierce  to  be  sent 
off  somewhere.  Oh,  that's  all  right,  you  know. 
She  told  me  to  pray  when  I  wanted  anything  good 
— she's  good." 

"  Oh,  you  rascal !  "  said  John,  laughing  heartily, 
in  spite  of  the  awkwardness  of  the  situation.  "  I 
will  take  you  in  hand  and  teach  you  a  better  religion 
than  Mrs.  Pierce  has.  I  refuse  to  be  sent  off  in  this 
summary  way." 

"  Oh,  then,  keep  her,  you  mean  man,"  said  Stevie ; 
"  my  papa  can  buy  one  just  as  nice  as  her,  or,"  after 
a  second  look  at  Katherine,  "  nearly  as  nice,  any- 
how." 

John  laughed  in  his  good-humored  way,  and  then 
managed  to  divert  little  Stephen's  thoughts  by  quar- 


282  Souls  in  Pawn 

railing  with  him  about  Katherine's  good  looks. 
When  the  argument  is  at  its  highest  Katherine  turns 
to  Richard  and  says,  softly,  "  You  understand  now 
how  dear  you  are  to  the  heart  of  God." 

"  My  Saviour ! "  is  his  sole  reply. 

"  And,  do  you  believe,  too,  that  I  care  for  you  as 
He  does,  and  believe  in  you  more  than  ever?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Yes,  I  know  you  now." 

"  And  I  have  always  been  your  friend,  and  always 
will  be ;  both  myself  and  my  wife  are  proud  to  call 
you  our  dear  friend,"  said  John,  heartily. 

"Thank  you,"  says  Richard,  briefly,  but  with  a 
world  of  feeling,  and  then  he  takes  the  outstretched 
hand  of  each  and  holds  them  for  a  moment.  Then 
Katherine  takes  Stevie  on  her  lap,  and  after  that 
they  all  sit  in  silence  until  the  house  is  reached. 

"  She  calls  me  her  friend,  and  she  believes  in  me 
again,"  the  ex-convict  whispers  to  himself.  And 
then,  with  the  very  light  of  heaven  on  his  face,  he 
adds,  "  But,  if  she  did  not,  it  would  make  no  differ- 
ence, for  He  has  called  me  friend — not  servant,  but 
friend." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

ONE  OF  GOD'S  IRREGULARS 

THE  Rev.  Dr.  Irving  and  Katie  Finnegan  have 
clasped  Richard's  right  and  left  hand,  and,  after  one 
look  into  his  face,  the  clergyman  says :  "  My  dear 
boy,  I  give  you  a  hearty  welcome." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  says  Richard,  quietly ;  and 
then,  straightening  himself  up,  he  looks  in  the  face 
of  the  other  man  and  says,  "  Forgive  me  for  the 
past;  it  does  not  deserve  forgiveness;  but,  oh,  do 
believe  me  in  this — I  am  true  to  God." 

"  I  know  you  are,"  said  the  clergyman,  with  con- 
viction, and  then,  seeing  that  Richard's  lips  trem- 
bled, he  conducts  him  to  the  little  parlor.  Richard 
is  a  little  gloomy.  After  all,  it  is  natural  that  there 
should  be  a  reaction  after  the  joy  of  the  night  be- 
fore; the  surprise  of  seeing  Stevie,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  is  an  ex-convict.  But  he  puts  the 
thought  from  him,  and  smiles  happily  when  Stevie 
tries  to  frighten  Katie  Finnegan  by  pretending  he  is 
a  bear  and  a  monkey  and  a  hyena  in  turn.  His 
Stevie !  his  very  own  boy !  No  one  in  the  world  has 
283 


284  Souls  in  Pawn 

any  claim  to  him  except  his  father,  and  a  proud  man 
his  father  is  as  he  watches  the  sprightly,  handsome 
little  fellow  jump  around,  glad  because  he  is  with 
his  father,  but,  with  the  natural  way  of  youngsters, 
emphasizing  that  fact  only  by  being  happy. 

"  Come  to  me,  darling,"  he  says,  putting  his 
hands  to  Stevie,  and  the  little  fellow  runs  to  him 
with  so  much  love  in  the  very  patter  of  his  shoes, 
that,  as  in  the  old  days,  it  "breaks"  Katie  "all 
up." 

"  Say,  Mr.  Masterson,"  she  says,  "  yer  all  right. 
I  always  said  ye  were,  and  y'are — that's  so ; "  and 
she  looks  challengingly  at  the  clergyman,  who 
really  agrees  with  her  and  thinks,  too,  that  she  is 
right  in  leaving  the  room  just  then,  so  he  follows, 
with  his  head  bent  in  the  thoughtful  way  that  he 
usually  carries  it. 

"  Play  horsey,  Pop,"  says  Stevie,  and  Richard, 
who  has  often  played  the  game  before,  puts  him  on 
his  knees,  and  to  the  tune  of  "  Up  the  Rocky  Road," 
shakes  and  jumps  and  rattles  the  very  teeth  in  the 
little  fellow's  mouth. 

But  what  does  Stevie  care  for  teeth  to-day?  He 
can  get  new  ones,  but  he  cannot  get  a  new  papa ; 
and  this  thought  so  overcomes  him  that  he  squeezes 
Richard  so  tight  that  the  horse  has  to  stop. 

"  Sing  for  me,  Pop,"  he  says ;  "  something 
sweet." 


One  of  God's  Irregulars  285" 

"What  shall  it  be,  darling?" 

"  Oh,  anything,  so  it's  nice ;  say,  Pop,  aren't 
you  happy  ?  " 

"  Very  happy,  darling."    And  he  spoke  truly. 

"  Then,  why  don't  you  laugh?  " 

"  The  truest  happiness  is  not  always  the  happi- 
ness that  laughs  loudest,  darling.  I  will  sing  for 
you." 

Katherine  and  John,  sitting  upstairs  in  their  own 
room,  heard  the  strains  of  "  Jesus,  Lover  of  My 
Soul,"  the  expressive  tenor  voice  giving  an  added 
expression  to  the  beautiful  hymn  and  Katherine's 
eyes  grow  soft  as  she  listens. 

"  Oh,  John,"  she  says,  suddenly,  "  we  must  keep 
Stevie  until  he  grows  up  or  until  his  father  marries. 
Poor  baby !  his  life  has  been  a  strange  one,  short  as 
it  has  been.  He  is  a  fine  little  fellow,  too,  in  spite 
of  his  ideas,  which  are  utilitarian  in  the  extreme." 

"  Of  course  we  will  keep  him,  dear,"  said  John, 
kissing  his  wife,  and  then  the  dinner-bell  rang  and 
they  went  downstairs  together.  In  the  dining- 
room  were  Dr.  Irving,  Katie  Finnegan,  Richard, 
Stevie,  Alice  Masland,  and  "  Daddy  Longlegs,"  the 
latter  assuring  Dr.  Irving  that  her  good  angel  sent 
her  and  she  was  going  to  stay  to  dinner.  She  in- 
sisted on  making  a  solemn  speech,  which  she  called 
"  saying  grace,"  and  kept  at  it  so  long  that  Stevie 


286  Souls  in  Pawn 

irreverently  called  out  "  Next  station  Hoboken,"  to 
the  great  delight  of  Katie  Finnegan  and  John,  who 
had  their  eyes  fixed  upon  her,  even  though  their 
fingers  apparently  shut  them  in  from  the  outer 
world.  After  the  speech  Daddy  Longlegs  insisted 
on  singing  a  song  of  her  own  composition  in  such 
a  loud,  cracked  voice  that  even  the  clergyman 
smiled,  which  emboldened  Katie  to  say,  "  Say, 
you've  lost  yer  calling,  sister." 

"  How's  that,  my  child  ? "  moaned,  rather  than 
asked,  Daddy,  after  she  had  finished  the  hymn. 

"  Oh,  yez  ought  to  be  yelling  fish  on  Friday. 
Yer  voice  is  as  cracked  as  a  cod's  back-bone  an' 
yer  scale  is  as  changeable  as  any  fish  dealer's." 

This  description,  full  of  Katie's  originality  and 
drawled  forth  in  her  own  expressive  way,  set  every- 
body laughing  except  John,  who  said,  soberly, 
"  For  shame,  Katie.  Our  friend  is  as  nature  made 
her." 

"  Dat's  so,"  said  Katie.  "  If  anyone's  born  wid- 
out  sense  dey've  got  to  do  widout  it,  dat's  all. 
Nature  hasn't  much  ter  do  w'en  she  makes  some 
people,  I  tell  yer !  " 

"  I  believe  in  angels  and  dignitaries,  and  nature 
had  nothing  to  do  with  my  creation,  you  poor  blind 
child,"  said  Daddy,  indignantly. 

"  Well,  'pon  my  word,  you  are  a  bit  unnatural 


One  of  God's  Irregulars  287 

looking,"  said  Katie,  helping  herself  to  some 
peas. 

"  Katie !  Katie !  "  remonstrated  the  clergyman, 
gravely.  But  Katie  would  not  be  quiet  and  said, 
"  Say,  Dr.  Irving,  I  got  more  common-sense  dan 
p'liteness.  If  dis  dame  comes  'round  me  she  don't 
need  to  be  tinkin'  dat  me  Christian  charity  will  let 
me  listen  to  her  crazy  yellin'.  It's  de  likes  o'  her 
makes  people  dead  set  against  Christianity.  Dis 
dame  tinks  she  has  wisions,  w'en  it's  a  bath  she 
ought  to  be  havin'." 

"  Katie,"  said  Katherine,  looking  at  her  little 
friend  gravely,  and  not  another  word  would  Katie 
say,  despite  John's  many  sly,  encouraging  glances, 
which  were  not  lost  on  Katherine,  as  he  learned  to 
his  sorrow  an  hour  later. 

That  night  Richard  and  John  had  a  long,  earnest 
talk,  the  result  of  which  was  that  Richard  would 
board  with  a  Christian  family  a  few  blocks  away, 
and  that  Stevie  would  make  his  home  at  the  par- 
sonage; and  a  few  mornings  later  Richard  kissed 
Stevie  good-by  and  went  to  work  in  a  factory  near 
by,  returning  to  his  home  at  six  o'clock  to  study 
until  midnight.  He  made  occasional  trips  to 
Chinatown  to  help  in  the  work  Katherine  and  Alice 
and  Katie  Finnegan  were  so  bravely  trying  to  do ; 
but  his  soul  was  wrapped  up  in  his  God,  his  books, 


288  Souls  in  Pawn 

and  his  boy;  and  not  even  Katherine  knew  any- 
thing of  his  inner  life.  She  had  seen  lines  ol  care 
in  his  face,  but  at  the  same  time  she  had  heard 
songs  of  gladness  issuing  from  his  lips,  and  no 
thought  of  what  Richard's  life  really  was,  ever 
entered  her  mind.  She  was  at  rest  about  him,  be- 
cause she  knew  he  was  true.  There  was  nothing 
more  to  think  about,  and  there  were  so  many  who 
did  not  know  Christ  that  she  was  almost  entirely 
occupied  with  them. 

One  evening  he  came  in,  his  face  bright  and  glad, 
and  he  ran  up  to  her  and,  seizing  her  by  the  hand 
in  boyish  fashion,  said :  "  Mrs.  Pierce,  I  have  good 
news — such  good  news!  My  employer  has  ob- 
tained a  position  on  a  large  London  newspaper  for 
me.  It  seems  too  good  to  be  true." 

"  That  is  blessed  news,"  said  Katherine,  "  but  we 
will  regret  your  having  to  go  away  from  us." 

"  Oh,  I  am  to  be  its  special  correspondent  here 
in  New  York  and  need  not  go  away,"  said  Richard, 
his  face  all  aglow  with  joy.  "  The  salary  is  good, 
and  I  am  so  happy,  because  I  can  give  a  large  part 
of  my  time  now  to  God's  work.  I  intend  to 
preach." 

"  The  Rev.  Richard  Masterson,"  said  Katherine, 
happily. 

"  No,  I  will  be  one  of  God's  irregulars.  I  am 
not  going  to  be  ordained." 


One  of  God's  Irregulars  289 

"And  how  did  your  employer  come  to  give  you 
that  position  ?  " 

"  His  brother  is  principal  owner  of  the  paper," 
said  Richard,  slowly. 

"  There  is  more  than  that  in  the  story,  I  am  sure," 
said  Katherine,  quietly. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  looking  at  the  floor,  "  I  obtained 
a  position  in  the  factory  for  one  of  the  men  who  was 
in  prison  when  I  was  there.  He  came  down  on  the 
train  with  me  and  promised  to  come  to  see  me  next 
day." 

"  Oh,  yes,  Hard  Tack,"  said  Katherine,  smiling. 
"  You  told  me  about  him." 

"Poor  Hard  Tack!"  said  Richard.  "He  did 
well  for  several  months,  but  succumbed  to  the 
temptation  for  drink  one  day,  and  while  under  its 
influence  stole  $100  from  the  safe  in  the  factory 
office.  I  paid  every  dollar  of  it  back.  It  took  a 
long  time  to  do  it,  for  you  know  I  was  a  learner 
and  only  getting  $10  a  week,  and  was  paying  a 
little  for  board." 

"  You  are  God's  true  child,"  said  Katherine, 
her  voice  trembling  with  emotion. 

"  But  you  see,"  remonstrated  Richard,  "  it  was 

only  fair  that  my  employer  should  not  lose  the 

money.    He  gave  Hard  Tack  the  position  because 

of  me,  and  he  had  just  taken  in  two  other  boys  from 

19 


290  Souls  in  Pawn 

up  the  river  that  same  week.  It  would  not  do  for 
them  to  suffer  because  of  the  other  fellow's  fall." 

"  They  are  doing  well  ?  "  questioned  Katherine, 
who  knew  that  "  up  the  river  "  meant  Sing  Sing 
Prison. 

"  Very  well,  thank  God.  I  have  discovered  Hard 
Tack's  hiding-place  and  intend  to  go  after  him  to- 
morrow; and  this  time  I  am  going  to  keep  my  eye 
on  him  and  be  near  to  strengthen  him  when  he  is 
weak.  I  can  get  him  work  at  once,  and  I  intend 
that  he  shall  share  my  room  until  he  grasps  God's 
promises  in  real  faith,  and  knows  that  '  Greater  is 
He  that  is  in  you  than  he  that  is  in  the  world.'  I 
will  never  lose  faith  in  a  man  if  he  falls  away  a 
dozen  times,  for  I  know  that  when  he  gives  him- 
self truly  to  God,  and  cries  in  honest  helplessness 
for  aid,  that  God  will  hear." 

"  Ah,  yes,  it  is  faith  in  God  and  not  man  we  need, 
and  I  am  glad  that  you  see  that  already,"  said 
Katherine.  And  then  she  added :  "  I  thank  my 
God  for  you,  Mr.  Masterson.  May  you  ever  be  true 
to  the  Christ  who  is  so  beautiful  to  you  to-day," 
and,  with  ringing  confidence — "  you  will  be.  God 
keeps  His  own,  but,"  slowly,  "  I  do  not  merely  want 
to  see  you  kept  from  sin  but  I  want  to  see  you  great 
in  the  kingdom  of  God." 

As  she  finishes  he  sees  on  her  face  the  rare  smile 


One  of  God's  Irregulars  291 

that  only  a  rare  soul  makes  possible;  and  she  sees 
there  the  fresh  frankness  of  a  spiritual  friendship 
that  is  as  different  from  the  old  mad  worship  as 
are  the  burning  rays  of  the  tropical  sun  from  the 
soft  light  that  gilds  the  autumn  evening  in  an  Irish 
village. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

A    PARTING    GLIMPSE 

I  AM  almost  afraid  to  take  the  reader  of  this  tale 
to  the  rooms  of  the  Fidelity  Club;  not  because  he 
will  be  demoralized  thereby,  but  because  he  will 
scarcely  recognize  the  little  girls  of  the  Finnegan 
Association  in  this  handsome  house  in  Mott  Street. 
It  is  a  little  wooden  structure  back  from  the  street, 
and  it  contains  nine  rooms,  every  one  of  which  pre- 
sents a  busy  scene.  Down  in  the  kitchen  twelve 
girls  are  baking,  and  cooking,  and  boiling,  under 
the  direction  of  Alice,  whose  bright  face  is  almost  a 
classic-looking  one  underneath  the  chef's  jaunty 
white  cap;  and  upstairs,  Katherine  is  instructing 
a  bevy  of  girls  in  clean  pinafores,  how  to  make  beds 
and  keep  a  house  clean.  This  is  the  kitchen-garden 
department  and  there  is  no  section  of  the  settlement 
that  is  as  interesting,  except,  perhaps,  Katie  Fin- 
negan's.  This  particular  section  has  no  name,  but 
it  is  universally  understood  that  ethics,  morality, 
philosophy,  and  religion  are  taught. 

To-day  it  is  a  mothers'  class  that  Katie  is  ad- 
292 


A  Parting  Glimpse  293 

dressing,  and  she  is  possessed  of  such  adaptiveness 
and  versatility  that  neither  the  mothers  nor  the  other 
workers  think  it  strange  that  they  listen  to  all  she 
says  as  if  years  of  experience  had  been  her  tutor. 
But  perhaps  they  had.  If  she  was  not  a  mother 
she  had  been  a  child,  and  it  was  from  that  side  she 
viewed  the  question.  John  and  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  and 
Richard  were  allowed  to  sit  in  the  class;  for  John 
had  promised  to  behave  well;  and  Mrs.  de  Rutyer 
not  to  criticise  the  speaker's  grammar,  at  least  until 
the  lecture  was  over.  No  promise  was  exacted  from 
Richard. 

"  "Pis  all  wrong,"  commences  Katie,  clearing  her 
throat,  "  to  say  children  should  be  seen  and  not 
heard.  You  might  as  well  say  to  a  poor  kid,  '  yer 
to  be  heard  and  not  seen.'  Yes,  an'  ye  might  as 
well  give  him  the  measles,  the  mumps,  and  a  pain 
in  de  neck  as  to  tie  his  tongue  w'en  his  brain's  goin' 
as  quick  es  a  woman  from  a  mouse.  Learn  to 
respect  a  child  even  if  she  ain't  more  dan  seven.  If 
ye  want  yer  youngsters  to  be  good,  be  good  yer- 
self.  Ye  wouldn't  tell  a  girl  to  make  a  cake  an' 
not  show  her  how,  would  ye  ?  I'm  sick  o'  hearin' 
mudders  moanin'  about  deyre  Tommies  an'  Nellies 
bein'  bad,  w'en  dey  never  was  shown  any  udder  way 
to  be.  Keep  de  young  uns  clean;  water's  cheap 
enough,  an'  ye  can  make  a  bat'-tub  outer  a  wash-tub 


294  Souls  in  Pawn 

if  ye  want  one.  If  a  girl's  body  is  clean  she  feels 
as  if  de  cup  she  drinks  out  of  ought  ter  have  a 
washin',  an'  den  she  don't  care  to  sleep  in  a  bed  w'at 
ain't  white.  After  dat  she'll  want  to  loin  so's  she 
can  make  more  money  an'  move  inter  a  decent 
neighborhood.  I'd  die,  I  believe,  widout  two  bat's 
a  week;  an'  if  I  couldn't  have  'em  I  don't  t'ink  me 
soul  would  feel  the  same.  Ye  can't  have  a  white 
soul  in  a  dirty  body  any  more  den  clean  water  in 
a  mud-puddle,  or  a  hot  dinner  on  a  cold  plate.  If 
yez  ain't  better  for  goin'  to  church,  stop  goin'  an' 
make  a  church  o'  yer  heart  afore  ye  goes  again. 
Dat's  w'ere  de  real  church  is  anyhow.  God  wants 
flesh  an'  blood,  a  long  sight  before  He  wants  stone 
an'  mortar. 

"  Prayin'  and  goodness  begins  in  de  brain.  Dat's 
w'at  God  says;  and  we  must  b'lieve  Him.  If  we 
can't  b'lieve  t'ings  we  can't  live  dem.  Some  people 
say  dey  b'lieves  in  goodness,  so  dey  starts  a  club 
(dey  calls  it  a  church),  an'  dey  makes  Christ  de  vice- 
president  to  deyre  own  good  works.  Now,  I  say 
make  Christ  president,  an'  let  yer  good  works  be 
His  vice-president.  I  don't  care  a  snap  fer  w'at  ye 
call  yer  stone  church,  but  I  want  yer  brain  church  to 
have  Christ  over  de  door,  den  yer  life  will  be  es 
white  es — es — es  if  it  had  a  bat'  every  hour. 

"  Oh,  me  fren's,  be  good  and  be  true.     It  pays 


A  Parting  Glimpse  295 

now  an'  all  de  time.  Dey  may  get  'long  uptown 
wid  a  God  dat  made  de  world  an'  walked  off  den, 
knowin'  dat  d'uptown  people  would  take  good  care 
of  it.  Down  here  we  need  a  Saviour  who  knows 
every  bit  'bout  our  rheumatics,  an'  our  lan'lord  an' 
de  undertaker's  bill,  an'  de  choke  in  our  t'roats  w'en 
one  of  de  family  dies.  De  very  air  makes  some  o' 
de  poor  fellers  down  here  go  an'  get  drunk ;  an'  want 
c'  food  makes  sickness  an'  misery,  an',  o*  course, 
misery  makes  fights.  Oh,  we  needs  a  God  dat 
knows  us  right  t'rough.  We  need  Him,  an'  we  can 
have  Him  right  now  if  we  want.  Let's  pray." 

After  the  prayer  Richard  sang  for  the  women,  and 
then  he  went  to  each  one  and,  in  his  grave,  pleas- 
ant way,  said  a  "  word  in  season ; "  promising  to 
call  and  see  this  one's  father,  that  one's  son,  and  the 
other  one's  husband.  Then  the  visitors  filed  out, 
and,  a  few  moments  later,  a  merry  party  gathered 
in  the  bright,  cheery  dining-room  around  the  festive 
board,  over  which  Alice  gracefully  presided.  She 
and  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  sat  together,  and  discussed  the 
settlement ;  Richard  and  Katherine  talked  about  the 
growing  prison-work,  and  John  and  Katie  Finne- 
gan  were  in  their  element,  mutually  vowing  to 
eliminate  cranks  from  one  branch  of  the  work  at 
least. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Katie,  impressively,  "  w'en- 


296  Souls  in  Pawn 

ever  you  ketch  a  crank  round  here  bring  her  or  him 
to  me,  an',  if  nawting  else  does,  I'll  keep  a  dog." 

"  That  is  an  excellent  idea,"  said  John,  soberly. 
"  I  agree  with  you,  Katie,  that  God  gives  the  bless- 
ing of  a  sound  mind  to  His  children;  so  we  must 
not  let  people  with  hobbies  ride  over  other  people's 
good  sense,  and  set  themselves  up  as  a  sample  of 
what  Christianity  does." 

"  Oh,  I've  instructed  Lizzie  Kelly  and  Mamie 
Scollard  an'  Mattie  Foy  an'  Lizzie  Dominico  how 
ter  act  w'en  I  ain't  here,"  said  Kate.  "  A  big  fool 
of  a  man  came  down  last  week  an'  told  Lizzie  Kelly, 
who's  honester  dan  nature  an'  dis  neighborhood 
made  her,  dat  she  was  a  child  of  de  devil,  an'  like 
her  father. 

"  '  Get  out  o'  here,'  said  Lizzie.  '  I'm  a  child  o' 
God  whom  de  devil  was  tryin'  to  get  but  couldn't, 
so  he  sent  you.  Don't  you  come  tellin'  me  de  devil's 
my  father.  Maybe  I  was  t'inkin'  once  o'  adoptin' 
him,  but  God  gave  me  new  sense.' 

"  The  feller  tried  to  prove  to  Lizzie  dat  she  was 
borned  to  help  de  devil ;  dat  her  first  screech  was  a 
bad  one,  an'  dat  she  was  goin'  to  de  bad  place  unless 
she  gave  a  testimony  dat  she  and  de  devil  was  near 
relatives,  and  might  make  up  if  it  wasn't  for  de 
crazy  visitor's  prayers.  Lizzie  put  him  out — an' 
dat's  good  t'eology." 


A  Parting  Glimpse  297 

"  Katie,"  whispered  John,  "  a  hose  is  excellent !  " 

"  Find  out  how  much  a  yard  'tis.  I'll  get  a  long 
one,  so  dat  it  will  be  doubly  eloquent,"  replied  Katie ; 
and  then  Katherine  looked  at  John  and  said,  "  What 
is  the  plot  about,  John  ?  " 

"  I  refuse  to  be  interviewed,"  said  John,  gravely, 
shutting  his  lips  and  looking  soberly  at  the  table- 
cloth. 

"  I  hain't  got  no  wife  to  be  'fraid  of,  so  I'll  tell 
ye,"  said  Katie,  mischievously.  "  I'm  goin'  to  buy 
a  hose  an'  give  a  shower-bat'  to  any  crank  who  pre- 
tends he's  sanctified,  an'  proves  it  by  makin'  every- 
body else  believe  dey're  as  black  as  de  devil,  an'  full 
of  a  dirtiness  dat  only  his  brand  o'  goodness  can 
cure.  I'll  have  a  dog  for  de  dames  dat  b'lieves  work 
is  a  sin,  an'  two  dogs  and  a  cat  ter  go  after  de  loons 
dat  says  marryin'  is  ungodly.  If  it  is,  God  made  it 
so,  for  He  gave  de  first  man  his  wife — bad  bargain 
poor  Eve  got  too.  De  idea  of  Adam  blamin'  Eve 
for  his  bad  fall.  If  men  was  obedient  den  to  deyre 
wives,  dey've  got  well  over  it." 

"  Why,  Katie !  "  cried  Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  putting 
her  lorgnette  to  her  right  eye. 

"  Oh,  say,  drop  dat  google-eye,"  said  Katie,  in 
disgust.  "  Leave  it  at  home  after  dis,  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer. It's  out  o'  place  down  here,  an'  it  gives  me 
de  locomotive  axles  every  time  I  see  it." 


298  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  Wh — at  does  it  give  you,  Katie  ?  "  gasped  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer. 

"  Please,  don't  correct  me  now ;  it  stops  me 
powers  o'  speech.  I  know  it  gives  me  chills  in  me 
spinal  pillar " 

"  Column,  Katie." 

"  Well,  what's  de  difference.  It  won't  bodder  me 
no  more  under  wan  name  dan  de  udder." 

"  I  think  it  might  be  very  helpful,"  said  Richard, 
"  if  Katie  would  impart  to  us  some  of  the  practical 
wisdom  with  which  she  is  so  richly  endowed ;  "  and 
Katie,  who  was  very  fond  of  him,  smiled  sweetly 
and  said,  "  Long-faced  cranks  made  me  sick  o'  re- 
ligion w'en  I  was  a  kid,  an'  I  won't  have  dem  makin' 
de  devil  more  attractive  to  me  friends  while  dey're 
'maginin'  dey're  doin'  God's  work ;  dat's  all,"  said 
Katie.  "  Argufyin'  ain't  de  t'ing.  Dey  got  no 
sense,  an',"  smiling  as  she  recollected  the  debate  at 
the  Sorceress  Club,  "  dey  can  only  be  made  b'lieve 
t'ings  t'rough  deir  feelin's.  Oh,  water's  good. 
Dat's  all." 

"  Hear !  hear !  "  said  John.  Katherine,  Alice, 
and  Richard  looked  sympathetic,  but  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer only  turned  her  eyes  to  the  ceiling,  shut  her  lips 
tight,  looked  at  Katie  two  or  three  times,  then 
coughed,  and  then  decided  to  eat  a  biscuit. 

This  pantomime  was  not  lost  on   Katie,   who 


A  Parting  Glimpse  299 

winked  roguishly  at  Katherine,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  She's  floored  this  time." 

Silence  fell  on  the  little  assembly,  but  after  it 
became  unbearable  Alice  said,  quietly,  "  I  do  not 
know  that  I  would  suggest  Katie's  extreme  meas- 
ures for  honest  cranks,  but  I  think  she  has  not  over- 
estimated the  harm  they  do  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
I  do  not  believe  Mr.  Masterson  would  have  had 
forty  men  serving  God  to-day,  nor  would  his  plead- 
ing attract  hundreds  nightly  to  the  mission  if  he  did 
not  have  the  spirit  of  God  and  use  common-sense." 

Richard's  face  grew  red,  and  when  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer  raised  her  lorgnette  and  levelled  it  at  him,  he 
grew  redder.  Katie  saw  this  and  promptly  knocked 
down  the  object  of  her  aversion  with  the  end  of  her 
fork,  and  then,  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  she 
said,  "  Yes,  an'  s'pose  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  came 
down  here  an'  went  to  Sing  Sing  Prison  lookin'  as 
miserable  as  scalped  Indians  an'  actin'  like  a  circus 
broke  loose  in  a  cemetery,  how'd  you  s'pose  dey'd 
do  ?  I  t'ink  water  an'  a  dog  is  de  t'ing." 

"  Katie,  your  language !  "  this  from  Mrs.  de  Rut- 
yer. 

"  My  language  is  not  on  trial,  Mrs.  de  Rutyer," 
said  Katie,  smiling  at  her.  "  In  time  I'll  do  better 
wid  dat  ter  please  ye,  but  I'll  vote  fer  water  an'  a 
dog  fer  de  crank  all  de  same." 


300  Souls  in  Pawn 

"  How  is  your  prison  work,  Katherine  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer,  anxious  to  change  the  subject. 

"  It  is  Mr.  Masterson's  and  John's  as  well  as 
mine,"  said  Katherine,  "  and  it  is  very  promising. 
God  is  good  to  us,  and  we  are  humbly  trying  to 
follow  where  He  leads,  for  without  Him  we  would, 
indeed,  be  discouraged,  so  difficult  is  the  work  we 
have  taken  up  and  so  faithless  is  the  world  about  it. 
John  has  been  very  successful  in  obtaining  work 
for  many  of  the  men." 

"  I  understand  that  you  are  going  to  preach  at 
the  mission  to-night,  and  that  you  are  to  have  sev- 
eral of  your  converts  there.  Are  they  ex-prisoners  ? 
and  will  they  tell  about  their  past  life  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
de  Rutyer,  turning  to  Richard  with  the  hiss  of  the 
last "  s  "  in  prisoners  still  on  her  lips. 

"  I  am  going  to  preach,"  said  Richard,  gravely. 
"  Some  of  the  men  I  led  to  God  are  going  to  assist 
me  in  the  service.  They  are  Christians,  and  their 
private  life  is  as  sacred  to  them  as  ours  is  to  us.  I 
wish  it  to  be  so." 

It  was  a  quiet  rebuke,  but  a  sufficient  one ;  and 
Mrs.  de  Rutyer  never  had  to  be  taught  that  lesson 
again. 

That  night  Richard  preached  in  the  mission 
where  we  first  met  him.  Katherine  played  for  him, 
and  she  watched  his  face  with  tear-dimmed  eyes 


A  Parting  Glimpse  301 

when  he  pleaded  with  the  simple,  telling  eloquence 
that  he  learned  to  use  in  his  boyhood  days,  when 
only  squirrels'  and  birds'  hearts  responded.  There 
was  warmth,  friendliness,  and  conviction  in  his 
voice ;  there  was  a  sincerity  and  honesty  too ;  and 
everyone  present  knew  that  if  ever  a  man  believed 
what  he  said,  Richard  Masterson  did.  If  there  was 
strength  in  him,  there  was,  too,  the  sympathy  of 
subdued  weakness,  and  the  man  who  had  never 
tried  and  the  man  who  had  tried,  but  had  not  the 
courage  to  try  again,  knew  that  he  could  go  to 
Richard  and  find  patience,  sympathy,  and  a  friendly 
heart.  He  never  prescribed  universal  prayer  and 
universal  salvation ;  but,  like  the  physician  of  souls 
he  was,  he  found  out  where  the  sore  spot  was  and 
talked  it  over  with  the  patient.  But  he  always  re- 
fused to  talk  about  the  condition  of  the  sore  or  the 
progress  of  the  disease,  for  purity  of  mind  and  a 
forgetting  of  the  past  and  its  ugly  details  were  char- 
acteristics of  his  work.  Richard  knew  that  good 
and  evil  begin  in  the  mind ;  and  with  the  indwelling 
Christ,  there  came  to  him  a  great  love  of  purity  and 
a  loathing  of  sin. 

"  If  the  old  man  of  sin  is  dead  and  the  new  man 
is  alive,"  he  would  say,  "  then  leave  your  old  grave- 
clothes  in  the  graveyard.  Why  resurrect  them  ?  " 
And  then  he  would  add  simply,  "  I  am  naturally  as 


302  Souls  in  Pawn 

prone  to  sin  as  ever,  but  it  is  the  Christ  in  me  that 
does  not  want  to  drink  whiskey  or  dwell  on  impure 
things." 

"  Mr.  Masterson,"  said  Katherine,  as  they  sat 
that  night  in  the  parlor  of  the  parsonage  before  say- 
ing good-night,  he  holding  Stevie  on  his  lap,  her 
father  holding  her  hand,  for  she  was  always  a  baby 
to  him,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  how  proud  I  am  of  you, 
or  how  happy  you  made  me  to-night.  Oh,  it  is 
such  a  comfort  to  know  that  you  are  true." 

"  Do  I  really  make  you  happy  ?  "  he  asked,  look- 
ing eagerly  into  her  face,  and  looking  with  a  tender 
pity  that  was  such  a  large  part  of  him,  at  the  ugly 
scar,  that  he  told  himself  he  was  partly  responsible 
for. 

"  Indeed  you  do.  Oh,"  as  she  noticed  that  his 
eyes  lingered  on  the  scar  still,  "  you  must  forget  all 
painful  recollections.  I  would  gladly  bear  it  over 
again  if  only  that  unhappy  man  was  saved." 

"  My  noble  friend !  "  cried  Richard.  "  I  wish  I 
might  bear  my  Lord's  scars  and  yours  too.  Oh, 
how  you  both  have  loved  me,  and  how  utterly  un- 
worthy of  even  forgiveness  I  have  been."  Tears 
dimmed  Dr.  Irving's  eyes  then,  but  without  saying 
a  word  he  dropped  Katherine's  hand  to  take  Rich- 
ard's, and  his  mind  went  back  to  a  drunken,  blas- 
pheming madman  he  had  seen  one  night  many 


A  Parting  Glimpse  303 

months  before,  but  who  was  not  at  all  the  Richard 
Masterson  sitting  here  before  him. 

"  Praise  God,  Katherine,"  he  cried,  out  of  the 
fulness  of  his  heart. 

"  Praise  God  !  "  reiterated  Katherine  reverently, 
and  little  Steve,  who  grasped  some  of  its  meaning 
and  knew  that  no  one  was  as  good  as  his  papa, 
said,  "  Yes,  praise  God  and  praise  Papa  too." 

They  were  all  silent  for  a  moment  and  when 
Richard  spoke  it  was  to  say  brokenly :  "  I  have 
failed  everyone  else,  but  I  will  never  fail  Him." 

"  I  won't  either,  Papa,"  said  the  little  fellow  on 
his  lap,  for  Stevie  wanted  to  comfort  his  father  and 
believed  he  could  always  do  as  he  did;  and  then 
Katherine  took  the  little  boy  on  her  lap  and  then 
and  there  showed  him  the  way  of  Life.  With  wide- 
open  eyes  he  listened,  and  presently  the  One  who 
desires  that  we  all  become  little  children  in  order 
to  understand  Him,  spoke  to  the  little  fellow;  and 
from  a  pair  of  innocent  baby  lips  came  the  words  his 
father  lisped  brokenly  in  a  prison-cell.  "  Dear 
Jesus — my  Jesus,  Papa's  Jesus,"  and,  clasping  his 
hands  together,  "All  our  Jesus." 

"  My  darling  boy,"  cried  Richard,  and  when  the 
others  stole  away,  he  praised  his  Redeemer  that 
though  Stevie  had  neither  great  riches  nor  a  great 
name,  he  had  that  which  is  greater  than  both,  his 


304  Souls  in  Pawn 

name  written  in  Heaven,  an  inheritance  of  purity 
and  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 


"  Welcome,  girlie,  I  thought  you  had  forgotten 
me,"  says  John,  as  his  wife  opened  the  door  of  their 
room  a  little  later. 

"Forgotten  you,  dear?"  said  Katherine,  and 
there  was  a  soft,  winning  light  in  her  eyes  as  she 
said  it.  "  No,  I  never  forget  you.  You  are  my  re- 
ward after  a  day  of  hard  work,  so  I  always  keep  you 
for  the  last." 

"  On  the  principle  that  the  last  shall  be  first,  I 
suppose,"  said  John,  kissing  her  as  she  twined  her 
arms  about  his  neck. 

"Yes,  kiss  me  again,  John,"  she  said,  nestling 
closer  to  him  and  sighing  like  a  contented  child. 
"  Oh,  John,  I  thank  God  for  giving  us  to  each  other ; 
I  am  so — so  happy.  Tell  me  again  that  I  am  your 
Katherine." 

John  complied  and  then  looked  at  her,  and,  just 
because  she  was  so  happy-looking,  he  proceeded  to 
rumple  her  hair,  and  teased  her  so  much  about  her 
"  love-sick  appearance  "  that  her  spirits  rose  and 
she  resented  the  insult  by  throwing  a  pillow  at  him. 
John  seized  another  one,  and  a  lively  pillow-fight 
that  brought  the  light  to  the  eyes  of  both  was  the 
result.  Their  happy  laughter  arose  above  the 


A  Parting  Glimpse  305 

sound  of  their  feet  as  they  scurried  to  and  fro,  fol- 
lowing up  every  point  they  could,  and  Dr.  Irving 
smiled  in  his  study  as  it  reached  his  ears.  As  Kath- 
erine  was  the  first  to  commence,  she  was  also  the 
first  to  surrender,  and,  when  she  humbly  offered 
John  her  weapon  of  defence  and  avowed  herself 
beaten,  he  gallantly  said,  as  he  knelt  on  one  knee 
before  her :  "  Brave  warrior,  keep  thy  pillow.  I 
would  not  deprive  thee  of  a  weapon  thou  hast  so 
bravely  ruined." 

And  ruined  it  was,  for  the  feathers  had  all  fallen 
out  and  now  covered  Katherine,  making  her  look 
like  a  half-plucked  goose.  It  was  John's  duty  to 
remove  the  traces  of  the  conflict,  and,  when  he  had 
done  it,  Katherine  insisted  on  sitting  on  his  knee 
and  rubbing  his  already  ruddy  cheeks  into  a  brighter 
glow,  meanwhile  saying,  "  My  dear  old  John." 

John  certainly  liked  that  sort  of  treatment  if  his 
eyes  were  any  index  to  his  mind;  but,  always  full 
of  humor,  he  could  not  let  even  such  an  occasion 
pass  without  a  funny  comment. 

"  Even  if  the  parsonage  burns  up  some  night, 
girlie,  we  will  have  some  table-ware  left,"  he  said, 
soberly. 

"  Why  ? "  asked  Katherine,  surprised  at  the 
prosaic  statement  at  such  a  time. 

"  Because  you  are  such  a  spoon,"  he  answered. 
20 


306  Souls  in  Pawn 

Katherine  laughed  and  said,  "  Do  you  know, 
Johnnie,  dear,  that  your  happy  disposition  and  con- 
tinual smile  is  just  the  medicine  a  sorrow-seeking 
being  like  myself  needs?  You  were  sent  into  the 
world  just  for  me — weren't  you,  dear?  " 

Of  course  John  said  that  he  was.  Was  there  ever 
a  lover  who  did  not  feel  that  he  was  a  man  of  des- 
tiny when  his  sweetheart  was  around,  and  was  there 
ever  a  pair  who  belonged  to  God,  and  loved  as  these 
two  did,  who  had  not  a  right  to  feel  so,  and  to  be 
as  deliriously  happy  as  it  is  safe  to  be  ?  So  we  will 
leave  them  in  silence  for  a  few  moments.  They  will 
be  sane  in  a  little  while.  Katherine  speaks  first. 
We  cannot  hear  what  she  says,  but  it  makes  John 
look  happy  and  subdued,  though  he  says,  as  gravely 
as  possible :  "  Katherine,  I  must  be  wary.  I  am 
sure  that  you  have  some  deep-laid  purpose  for  mak- 
ing all  this  love  to  me  to-night.  I  believe  you  are 
trying  to  soften  my  heart  so  that  I  will  show  you 
that  letter  Mrs.  de  Rutyer  handed  me  as  we  left  the 
mission.  I  saw  you  glance  jealously  at  it." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  want  to  see  that,"  said  Katherine, 
running  her  hand  into  his  coat-pocket  and  saying, 
sternly,  "  No  secrets,  sir ! " 

A  mock  struggle  took  place,  and  then  Katherine 
drew  out  into  the  light  a  carefully  written  note  that 
read: 


A  Parting  Glimpse  307 

"  Get  good,  strong  garden-hose,  about  fifteen 
yards  of  it.  I  guess  you  can  buy  a  couple  of  good 
dogs  in  the  pound.  I'll  train  them  in  a  week  or  so. 
Pete  got  a  cat  for  me  about  an  hour  ago,  and  she 
can  say  '  s-s-s-s  '  bad  enough  to  give  a  queer  visitor 
a  fit.  Don't  get  mad  dogs,  because  they'd  agree 
too  well  with  the  cranks.  Say,  Mr.  Pierce,  couldn't 
you  swipe  that  google-eye  from  Mrs.  de  Rutyer. 
She  makes  me  so  nervous  when  she  points  it  at  me 
that  I  feel  like  dropping.  If  you  don't  get  it  away 
from  her,  I'll  get  a  soda-water  bottle  an'  look 
through  it  when  I'm  in  the  street-car  with  her,  to 
show  her  how  chumpy  she  looks.  She's  all  right, 
but  that  old  obse'vatory  she  looks  through — oh, 
say! 

"  Don't  you  think  I'm  doing  nice  in  my  spelling 
an'  writing?  I  tell  you  the  public  school  is  what! 
I'm  going  to  be  a  fine  woman  yet.  Oh,  I  wish  I 
could  be  as  fine  as  Mrs.  Pierce  or  as  good  as  you, 
even.  That  Mr.  Masterson  is  all  right,  I  tell  you. 
God  bless  you  all  every  one,  an'  I  hope  He  will 
make  us  sensible  so  that  we'll  know  how  to  help 
those  poor  things  who  ain't  helped  yet. 
"Yours  most  truly, 

"  KATIE  FINNEGAN." 

S.  P.    Don't  forget  the  hose  and  the  dogs. 

"  You  and  Katie  will  be  in  the  hands  of  the  law, 
John,  if  I  do  not  take  care  of  you,"  said  Katherine, 
when  she  had  ceased  laughing.  "  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  I  should  go  to  Sing  Sing  Prison  some 


308  Souls  in  Pawn 

day  and  find  Katie  there  for  annihilating  cranks, 
and  you  for  manufacturing  illegal  hose  and  stealing 
city  dogs." 

"  If  such  crank  exterminators  as  Katie  could  be 
made  to  order,  I  would  apply  for  a  patent  immedi- 
ately," said  John. 

"  Dear,  loyal,  honest  Katie  Finnegan,"  said 
Katherine,  thoughtfully,  as  she  rumpled  her  hus- 
band's hair.  "  She  would  be  a  militant  preacher, 
indeed,  for  she  has  the  courage  of  every  conviction. 
I  will  take  her  in  hand  to-morrow  and  urge  her  to 
modify  her  views,  but  I  would  not  want  one  bit  of 
the  aggressive  spirit  taken  out  of  her  heart,  for  I 
believe  the  simple  President  of  the  Fidelity  Club 
will  yet  be  a  Joan  of  Arc  of  the  Cross." 

"  So  do  I,  darling,"  said  John,  and  then,  as  if  he 
regretted  the  tenderness  that  sprang  up  in  his 
heart  at  the  sound  of  Katherine's  soft  voice,  he 
added  with  conviction,  "  Rubber  hose  and  dogs  are 
as  good  weapons  as  Joan  ever  fought  with." 

THE    END. 


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